Investigates the factors that underpin the establishment, development, and maintenance of partnerships between employers and vocational rehabilitation agencies. The identified factors were similar to those obtained from previous research. However, it was also found that these characteristics may differ according to the stage of development of…

Focus groups examined the experiences of staff from British agencies across five practice contexts delivering mental health services. Respondents encountered a wide range of mental health problems. Interagency support in supporting clients was restricted to a minority of agencies within the same practice context. Barriers included reluctance or…

This study describes issues and challenges faced by 10 Early Head Start (EHS) programs in collaborating with their early intervention (EI) partners serving young children with disabilities and their families in an urban setting. It examined the perspectives of direct service providers and directors from 10 EHS programs regarding the process of…

This document discusses the development and implementation of a multiservice center that could offer a variety of human social services in a single location. The paper focuses on seven components of the center's operation: governance, organizational structure, core services, joint funding, joint planning, joint programming, and evaluation. The…

Reviews the outcomes of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Adult Learning Service's first year of operation. Discusses PBS's efforts to improve its service to public television stations, colleges, and adult learners. Highlights activities to overcome problems related to timing, course selection, pricing, and exclusivity. (AYC)

An interagency collaborative project trains those who supervise and advise volunteers in community organizations to assist volunteers in career development and life planning. (SK)

In Western countries, community work is often carried out without attention to comparable activities in developing societies. There is a need for collaboration and exchange, and practices must be changed to accommodate them. (JOW)

Evaluated how British health and local authorities integrated mental health services into general health and social services. Stakeholder interviews and surveys showed that the recurrent theme of culture meant different things to different people. Shared culture was widely believed to lead to seamless service and collaboration, but low staff…

Developed and tested key indicators for collaboration between health and social services in mental health. Surveys of stakeholders indicated that collaboration was most effective when there was an agreed-upon strategy. Barriers to collaboration included differences in funding, accountability, governmental guidance, and the status and control of…

Examined how five South African interprofessional partnerships involved local communities and voluntary agencies in long-term health care planning and delivery, highlighting barriers to participation, comparing the views of four stakeholder groups, noting the costs and benefits of participation, and evaluating satisfaction, ownership,…

This newsletter issue asserts that sound, effective relationships in which diverse groups of people and organizations work together toward a common goal are the basis of the collaborative efforts in education that can accomplish change. The first article, "Partners: Forging Strong Relationships" (Sarah E. Torian), briefly describes the…

The purpose of this report is to provide policymakers, primarily at the federal and state levels, with information about youth with disabilities in foster care, so that policymakers can begin to understand the characteristics of this population; the challenges they face; how they fare with regard to safety, permanency, self-determination and…

International organizations dealing with higher education should pay more attention to the rise of autonomous world regional processes and explore synergies. This article gives an overview of new macro-regional processes around the world. The European case is the most salient, but developments in America and East Asia are also noticeable. In the…

This article reflects on a number of key concepts and planning tools that have been developed or adapted through the inter-agency planning of services for children and young people in Northern Ireland (Children's Services Planning). These conceptual models have been developed between 1999 and 2005 and illustrate the key contribution of Children's…

The benefits of people and agencies working cooperatively clearly outweigh the costs. When an agency works by itself, it avoids risks, protects its resources, gets sole credit, and controls goals, methods, and efforts. When agencies cooperate, they can prevent duplication of efforts and services, economize and stretch resources, multiply the…