Effective Strategies for Interagency Collaboration: What Works from Districts that are Doing It!

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Effective Strategies for Interagency
Collaboration What Works from Districts that
are Doing It!
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Why Focus on Interagency Collaboration?

• Adolescents with disabilities in transition have
  complex support needs
• Inability of different systems to work together
• 88 of all states have failed to establish
  interagency linkages under IDEA
• No agency has all that is needed to plan
  provide comprehensive transition services

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What does Interagency Collaboration Mean?
(deFur, et al., 1997 Dunst Bruder, 2002)
Independent agencies function as one entity with
problem-solving, sharing and merging of resources
Agencies interact on regular basis for shared
decision-making, accountability trust. Jointly
scheduled activities planning time exist
Assisting youth to gain access to services IEP
team coordinates supports and resources
IEP teams identify range of services available in
community and can make referrals to other agencies
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Barriers to Interagency Collaboration

• an unnatural act between two non-consenting
  adults
• (Agran, et al., 2002)
• Poor inaccurate perceptions of outside agencies
  by school staff, students and parents
• Nonexistent or ineffective procedures for
  collaborating among agencies
• The way schools operate
• The way agencies operate
• Shifting roles of teachers and school staff

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LEA Capacities Strategies

• Scheduling and staffing
• Early planning
• Flexibility in location of services
• Follow-up after transition
• Administrative support
• Funding
• State support
• Collaboration with adult agencies

• Meeting with students and families
• Training students and families
• Joint training of staff
• Meeting with agency staff and transition councils
• Transition portfolios
• Disseminating information widely

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LEA and SEA Attitudes

• Clear value of relationship building
• Relationship Building Capacity Positive
  Attitudes
• Relationship-Building Strategies
• Advocacy
• Ongoing meetings
• Transition councils

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How Interagency Teams Develop

• Several years to achieve
• Team that is highly proactive committed to
  community vision.
• Trust is extended team has developed
  flexibility and is able to adapt to changes.
• Involvement in the team is constant
  self-initiated
• Teams reinforced by the smaller successes
  committed to major systems-level changes that
  requires high levels of collaboration for
  policies, funding, procedures, and staffing.

• 1 year - team accepts diversity in personal
  styles have learned to trust one another
• Systematic problem-solving is well established
  most feel comfortable with their roles
• Communication is task-oriented
• Members have developed relationships as a support
  outside of the team meetings.

• Excitement newness
• Teams focus on specific tasks that are do-able to
  gain confidence trust
• Time on training, networking, information
  sharing
• Interpersonal skills, problem-solving approaches,
  conflict resolution, dialogue skills all critical

• 4-6 months - sense of letdown stress about
  shifting roles
• Need to review vision/mission compare
  performance to goals.
• Discuss what has been learned decide on how to
  operate better as a team.

Step 1 Getting Started
Step 2 Going in Circles
Step 3 Getting on Course
Step 4 Full Speed Ahead
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Community Resource Mapping to Enhance
Collaboration

• Step 1 Pre-Mapping
• Vision
• Goal-Setting
• Partnership-building
• Step 2 Mapping
• Identify a process
• Collect Data
• Develop Products

• Step 3 Implement Map Results
• Strategic Planning
• Communicating
• Supporting Community Action
• Step 4 Evaluation/ Mid-Course Corrections
• Keeping Current
• Continue to Measure
• Maintain Momentum

From Crane, K. Skinner, B. (2003). Community
Resource Mapping A Strategy for Promoting
Successful Transition for Youth with
Disabilities. NECSET Information Brief
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Map IT!

• What agencies would you contact to work with
  Heather or James?
• Think about their postsecondary goals and what
  you know about community agencies/organizations.

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What is Most Critical for Interagency
Collaboration?

• Role of the Transition Coordinator
• Leadership
• Systems Change