Community-Level Service Integration Within Home Visiting Programs

Abstract

National surveys were obtained from 193 programs serving children eligible for Part H who were identified by state-level administrators as demonstrating successful efforts in integrating services for families. Descriptive analyses were conducted to determine the service system models in place, the strategies used to facilitate service integration, the perceived barriers, and the relationship between the state-level systems and the community-level systems. A variety of successful strategies to facilitate integrated services were reported as being implemented at the community level, although there was limited coordination with hospitals, medical specialists, and mental health services. Insufficient funding for lower caseloads and compensation for service coordination efforts were perceived as the greatest barriers to system integration efforts. States supported communities primarily through the provision of information concerning policies and regulations; the use of other support strategies (e.g., needs assessments for obtaining community input) was less prevalent.