Inter-Organizational Collaboration in the Implementation of Evidence-based Practices Among Public Agencies Serving Abused and Neglected Youth

• Published in: Administration and policy in mental health and mental health services research Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 74 - 85
• Main Authors: Palinkas, Lawrence A., Fuentes, Dahlia, Finno, Megan, Garcia, Antonio R., Holloway, Ian W., Chamberlain, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Behavior Problems; Behavioural problems; California; Child; Child Abuse - psychology; Child Abuse - rehabilitation; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child Behavior Disorders - rehabilitation; Child Welfare; Child Welfare Services; Clinical Psychology; Cohort Studies; Collaboration; Cooperation; Cooperative Behavior; Evidence based medicine; Evidence Based Practice; Evidence-Based Practice - organization & administration; Female; Foster Care; Foster Home Care - organization & administration; Health Administration; Health Informatics; Health Plan Implementation - organization & administration; Health services; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Juvenile Delinquency - rehabilitation; Juvenile justice; Male; Medical Research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Middle Aged; Organizational culture; Probation; Probation service; Psychiatry; Public Health; Randomized controlled trials; Research - Practice Relationships; Young people; Youth; California; Los Angeles California; United States > US; Child welfare; Mental health services; Juvenile justice; Collaboration; Implementation; Evidence-based practice
• ISSN: 0894-587X; 1573-3289
• DOI: 10.1007/s10488-012-0437-5

This study examined the role of inter-organizational collaboration in implementing new evidence-based practices for addressing problem behaviors in at-risk youth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 systems leaders of probation, mental health, and child welfare departments of 12 California counties participating in a large randomized controlled trial to scale-up the use of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care. Three sets of collaboration characteristics were identified: (1) characteristics of collaboration process, (2) characteristics of the external environment, and (3) characteristics of participating organizations and individuals. Inter-organizational collaboration enables an exchange of information and advice and a pooling of resources individual agencies may require for successful implementation.