Interagency Relationships Research Articles

Detecting and reducing post-traumatic stress among children exposed to domestic violence: A multi-agency early intervention program

Exposure to domestic violence (DV) has serious implications for youth, increasing risk for a range of problems, including post-traumatic stress. The Child Trauma Response Team is a multi-agency collaboration aimed at providing coordinated, immediate, trauma-informed, and interdisciplinary response to children and their impacted family members who are exposed to domestic violence. This mixed-methods study analyzed CTRT administrative data along with qualitative stakeholder interview data to describe the children and families served by CTRT, examine the reach of CTRT services, and articulate the lessons learned in the early stages of CTRT program implementation. Results show the majority of children accessing CTRT services were young and came from racial and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. The vast majority of families engaging with CTRT received safety assessment and planning and child trauma education, with many families receiving at least one other service. Stakeholders identified challenges to implementation as: identification of eligible families; initiating and ensuring program engagement; and collaboration and communication across multiple agencies. Several strategies to overcome these challenges were identified. Findings from this study indicate that, through inter-agency collaboration, reaching and serving children exposed to DV in the days and weeks immediately following a violent event is feasible—even in a large city with complex inter-agency relationships.

Policies and Practices to Address the Educational Needs of Foster Children in Ten Florida Counties

Children in foster care have persistently low academic outcomes. Federal and Florida state law has tried to address some of the structural barriers that contribute to these poor outcomes. Florida was one of the first states, in 2004, to enact legislation requiring school and child welfare systems to collaboratively address the needs of this high-risk group for whom they share responsibility. Since then, similar mandates have been incorporated into federal child welfare and education laws. Yet there is little information about whether these high-level policies have translated into meaning changes in practice to better support the academic needs of children in foster care. This report contributes to filling that gap by examining county-level policy and practice in 10 Florida counties. The researchers interviewed the child welfare and education staff who served as the point of contact for the other agency in each county. The report presents findings in key areas such as the role of the liaison, collaboration and coordination between the systems, policies and practices to decrease school mobility, monitoring and promoting academic progress, information-sharing and the process for appointing surrogate parents. The study revealed wide variation in whether the county had full-time liaisons, the extent of their inter-agency collaboration, and electronic exchange of school records. Counties with established inter-agency relationships appeared well positioned to identify and address system-level barriers that interfere with education. The next step for these counties is to translate those system-level efforts into data-driven strategies that lead to improved outcomes for individual children. Other counties are further behind and have not even begun to devote sufficient resources to collaboration and addressing foster care education issues. The report also shares recommendations for federal, state and local policymakers and stakeholders.

O uso de recursos sonoros pelos naturólogo

A pesquisa teve como objetivo verifcar a utilização dos recursos sonoros, sons e músicas, pelos naturólogos nos atendimentos, a forma como são utilizados para compor um ambiente com uma escuta acolhedora, a participação do interagente nesse processo. Verifcou-se a importância que é dada para a escolha de um repertório sonoro-musical, condizente com os objetivos do processo naturológico, que visa o cuidado e atenção à saúde através de uma integração de práticas naturais, uma visão multidimensional do processo saúde-doença e uma relação de interagência. Tratou-se de um estudo observacional/descritivo de delineamento transversal, de natureza quantitativa. A amostra incluiu 53 naturólogos formados pelas instituições Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina e Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, que atuam no âmbito clínico há no mínimo seis meses. De modo geral, a maior parte dos naturólogos são graduados pela UNISUL; utilizam os recursos sonoros em atendimento, como som ambiente, por meio de música gravada; tem pouco conhecimento musical; utiliza algum critério para escolha do som a ser colocado. Este estudo pode contribuir na estruturação dos cursos de Naturologia e na profssão e incentivar o uso consciente dos recursos sonoros nos atendimentos naturológicos, a fm de acrescentar e auxiliar o processo terapêutico, compondo um ambiente adequado para alcançar os objetivos propostos.

Barriers and facilitators in supporting people with intellectual disability to report sexual violence: perspectives of Australian disability and mainstream support providers

PurposeEvidence from Australia and worldwide has highlighted the ongoing marginalisation, discrimination, abuse, violence and neglect of people with disability. One of the main areas of concern is that despite such evidence there remain fundamental barriers for people with disability to report violence and/or access supports. Significantly few studies have canvased the perspectives of people with intellectual disability (ID), family members or disability service providers. Accordingly as a first step, the purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of disability and violence-response professionals’ regarding the barriers and facilitators of effective support for people with ID reporting sexual violence and accessing mainstream supports.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design informed the basis of this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants who held roles within disability services and mainstream violence response. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. These transcripts were then analysed individually using a combination of thematic analysis and discourse analysis to bring to light the social and material structures within service systems in terms of how they disempower or empower supports for people with ID.FindingsParticipants from both services reported that professionals (particularly those outside the disability sector) lacked awareness of practical ways in which they could support people with ID to report and access services outside of disability-specific services. Participants also felt the capacity for people with ID to have a voice about what happens in the “aftermath” of reporting sexual violence was rarely acknowledged. Participants called for education and development of resources which could guide professional practice across disability and wider violence-response services. Participants saw investment in building interagency relationships across sectors as key to supporting the citizenship of people with ID.Originality/valueThis study suggests that there is a strong need for better community engagement and understanding of the multi-faceted issues surrounding responses to violence concerning people with ID. The findings of this study also outline implications for practice and policy which may be of interest to professionals both within disability and wider violence-response sectors in Australia and internationally.

Rhode Island Domestic Violence Shelter Policies, Practices, and Experiences Pertaining to Survivors With Opioid Use Disorder: Results of a Qualitative Study.

The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the existing research by exploring policies and practices of domestic violence shelters in one US state pertaining to clients with opioid use disorders (OUDs), as well as documenting some of their experiences providing services to those clients. We used semi-structured key informant interviews to gather information about Rhode Island shelter practices and policies pertaining to OUD-relevant topics and make meaning of shelter workers’ experiences with clients with OUDs. One researcher conducted all 30-min, telephone interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using a content-based analysis approach. The open-ended interview questions yielded information that clustered in the following three main themes: (1) existing shelter policies and practices; (2) staff training on OUDs; and (3) ideas for improvement. Intimate partner violence (IPV) service providers reported that OUD is an issue that affects their clientele, creates problems for both IPV survivors and for staff who are helping them heal from IPV, and causes concerns about the safety of children and other shelter residents who may be housed with individuals with OUDs. Participants reported a range of policies and practices related to how IPV survivors with OUDs are served by their programs. They also offered multiple possible improvements that could be made to IPV survivor programming. Among their suggestions were the establishment of long-term housing, hiring substance use disorder specialists to work in IPV shelters, and improving interagency relationships between IPV programs, child protection services, and substance use disorder treatment providers. Some close-ended interview questions permitted calculations about the percentage of programs that had particular policies in place. For example, of the six programs, 50% (n = 3) reported that they keep naloxone on site. Only one of the six programs (18%) reported that they have a protocol for disposing of unused opioids, medications for OUD, or drug paraphernalia if it is found at the shelter. Additional data about the prevalence of OUDs among the IPV shelter population is needed, as are in-depth analyses of barriers and facilitators to OUD treatment for IPV survivors.

A Demonstration Model of Interagency Collaboration for Students With Disabilities: A Multilevel Approach

Communicating Interagency Relationships and Collaborative Linkages for Exceptional Students (CIRCLES) is a transition-planning service delivery model designed to guide schools in implementing interagency collaboration. This study examined the impact of CIRCLES on students’ self-determination and participation in individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Forty-four schools located in the Southeast United States were assigned randomly into either the CIRCLES or business-as-usual (BAU) conditions, and 877 high school students with disabilities were included in the analyses. Two-level hierarchical linear models, with students at Level 1 and schools at Level 2, examined the effectiveness of CIRCLES. Results indicated students in the CIRCLES condition had higher levels of self-determination (Hedges’s g = .06–.38) and greater IEP participation (Hedges’s g = .77). Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are provided.

Organizational theory for dissemination and implementation research

BackgroundEven under optimal internal organizational conditions, implementation can be undermined by changes in organizations’ external environments, such as fluctuations in funding, adjustments in contracting practices, new technology, new legislation, changes in clinical practice guidelines and recommendations, or other environmental shifts. Internal organizational conditions are increasingly reflected in implementation frameworks, but nuanced explanations of how organizations’ external environments influence implementation success are lacking in implementation research. Organizational theories offer implementation researchers a host of existing, highly relevant, and heretofore largely untapped explanations of the complex interaction between organizations and their environment. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of organizational theories for implementation research.DiscussionWe applied four well-known organizational theories (institutional theory, transaction cost economics, contingency theories, and resource dependency theory) to published descriptions of efforts to implement SafeCare, an evidence-based practice for preventing child abuse and neglect. Transaction cost economics theory explained how frequent, uncertain processes for contracting for SafeCare may have generated inefficiencies and thus compromised implementation among private child welfare organizations. Institutional theory explained how child welfare systems may have been motivated to implement SafeCare because doing so aligned with expectations of key stakeholders within child welfare systems’ professional communities. Contingency theories explained how efforts such as interagency collaborative teams promoted SafeCare implementation by facilitating adaptation to child welfare agencies’ internal and external contexts. Resource dependency theory (RDT) explained how interagency relationships, supported by contracts, memoranda of understanding, and negotiations, facilitated SafeCare implementation by balancing autonomy and dependence on funding agencies and SafeCare developers.SummaryIn addition to the retrospective application of organizational theories demonstrated above, we advocate for the proactive use of organizational theories to design implementation research. For example, implementation strategies should be selected to minimize transaction costs, promote and maintain congruence between organizations’ dynamic internal and external contexts over time, and simultaneously attend to organizations’ financial needs while preserving their autonomy. We describe implications of applying organizational theory in implementation research for implementation strategies, the evaluation of implementation efforts, measurement, research design, theory, and practice. We also offer guidance to implementation researchers for applying organizational theory.

RISCO DE CONTAMINAÇÃO POR HIDROCARBONETOS NA COLÔMBIA

ResumoOs regimes de regulação do risco de contaminação por hidrocarbonetos estão definidos através da Lei No 1523 de 2012 e no Decreto 321 de 1999 “Plano Nacional de Contingência contra Derrames de Hidrocarbonetos”, contudo, é preciso aplicar metodologias para a sua interpretação. Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar os regimes de regulação do risco de contaminação por hidrocarbonetos na Colômbia. A caracterização foi feita mediante a descrição geral dos efeitos da contaminação por hidrocarbonetos, foi desenvolvida uma análise espacial das ocorrências e foi identificada a legislação que regula a atividade petrolífera na Colômbia. Finalmente a caracterização dos regimes foi feita utilizando matrizes de análise relativas ao contexto e conteúdo do regime e aos atores envolvidos.A aplicação das matrizes permitiu conhecer que o tipo de risco é alto, a opinião pública face ao risco está dividida e expõe altos interesses de grupos organizados. Os regimes de regulação para este tipo de risco apresentam alta proatividade nas políticas, contem uma estrutura operativa robusta e o relacionamento interinstitucional é alto. A regulação do risco de contaminação por hidrocarbonetos está polarizada pelos interesses particulares do setor industrial e das comunidades e não têm permitido um desenvolvimento justo que reduza o impacto ambiental e que não prejudique a sustentabilidade do país.Palabras chave: Contaminação por Hidrocarbonetos, Risco, Regimes de Regulação.

Improving civil–military coordination in humanitarian logistics: the challenge

Abstract Within the emerging field of humanitarian logistics, the civil–military logistical interface has achieved only minimal attention in academic literature even though most western nations have a civil–military division within their defence departments. Due to fundamental differences between humanitarian and development agencies and international military forces in terms of the principles and doctrines guiding their work, their agendas, operating styles and roles, the area of civil–military logistical coordination in humanitarian relief has proven to be more difficult than other interagency relationships. This paper presents recent research that proposes a model for logistics requirements in humanitarian operations, taking account of where and how civil–military involvement can be most effective and efficient across all phases of humanitarian operations. Interviews were conducted with key personnel in humanitarian and military organisations. The model proposed here, appears to be robust and workable in a range of geopolitical and operational circumstances. We show that the greatest impact of military involvement is most beneficial in the initial crucial life sustaining days immediately after natural disasters. In contrast in manmade complex emergencies, military assistance to the logistical provision of aid is more beneficial when widespread military expertise is provided.

Time, terrain and trust: Impacts of rurality on case management in rural Australia

There is a ‘black hole’ in our understanding of case management practice with earlier studies identifying this as a particular concern for rural contexts. Using grounded theory methodology, focus groups were conducted with Australian rural case managers to understand how the rural context impacts on the provision of case management services. Findings identified behaviours associated with lengthy rural travel, stemming from a demand for constant output; lack of familiarity with the rural landscape combined with the loss of mobile communication, led to early feelings of trepidation for some women accessing rural spaces; lastly, building inter-agency relationships are critical to successful collaborative work, yet are threatened by lack of trust and frequent turnover of rural programs. Further exploration of these themes, in the international context, would be of benefit.

Examining the Role of Trust and Informal Communication on Mutual Learning in Government

Although public agencies must mutually coordinate climate policy and other complex environmental issues, the extent and relative importance of informal networks and different dimensions of trust to the process remains underresearched. Addressing this, we conducted surveys and interviews with civil servants from numerous agencies and three levels of government working on climate change–related policy in the state of New York. We examined the effect of two network properties on mutual learning on climate change–related issues: the extent to which interagency communication takes places through formal and informal channels, and the distribution of two dimensions of trust (“fair play” and “relational comfort”) across the network. Our analysis revealed that formal communication among staff at different agencies was utilized more often than informal and that interagency relationships were more characterized by a feeling of “fair play” than by “relational comfort,” yet informal communication and Relational Comfort were the most important in facilitating interagency collaboration.

Who’s steering the ship? National curriculum reform and the re-shaping of Australian federalism

This paper explores the repositioning of state curriculum agencies in response to the establishment of the Australian Curriculum and the key national policy organisation responsible for its development: the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). I begin with an analysis of the federal Labor government’s role in the early years of the Australian Curriculum reform, arguing that Labor was afforded a rare window of political opportunity that enabled the fundamental restructuring of curriculum policy at the national level, and which has significantly altered intergovernmental and inter-agency relationships. Following this, I engage with research literature that has sought to theorise the changing nature of Australian federalism in relation to schooling reform. I then present an empirical analysis based on interviews with policy-makers in ACARA and curriculum agencies in four Australian states (Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria). My analysis draws attention to three dominant trends: powerful new roles for ACARA in driving national reform and inter-agency collaboration; increased policy overlap and blurred lines of responsibility; and an uneven playing field of intergovernmental and inter-agency relationships and powers. I conclude by considering the implications of emerging reform trends for conceptualising the shifting dynamics of federalism in Australia and beyond.

Perspectives on West Africa Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak, 2013-2016.

The variety of factors that contributed to the initial undetected spread of Ebola virus disease in West Africa during 2013-2016 and the difficulty controlling the outbreak once the etiology was identified highlight priorities for disease prevention, detection, and response. These factors include occurrence in a region recovering from civil instability and lacking experience with Ebola response; inadequate surveillance, recognition of suspected cases, and Ebola diagnosis; mobile populations and extensive urban transmission; and the community's insufficient general understanding about the disease. The magnitude of the outbreak was not attributable to a substantial change of the virus. Continued efforts during the outbreak and in preparation for future outbreak response should involve identifying the reservoir, improving in-country detection and response capacity, conducting survivor studies and supporting survivors, engaging in culturally appropriate public education and risk communication, building productive interagency relationships, and continuing support for basic research.

CORRELATES OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL SERVICE COORDINATION IN COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS.

Because weak interagency coordination between community correctional agencies (e.g., probation and parole) and community-based treatment providers has been identified as a major barrier to the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for treating druginvolved offenders, this study sought to examine how key organizational (e.g., leadership, support, staffing) and individual (e.g., burnout, satisfaction) factors influence interagency relationships between these agencies. At each of 20 sites, probation/parole officials (n = 366) and community treatment providers (n = 204) were surveyed about characteristics of their agencies, themselves, and interorganizational relationships with each other. Key organizational and individual correlates of interagency relationships were examined using hierarchical linear models (HLM) analyses, supplemented by interview data. The strongest correlates included Adaptability, Efficacy, and Burnout. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Using the structure of social networks to map inter-agency relationships in public health services

This article investigates network governance in the context of health and wellbeing services in England, focussing on relationships between managers in a range of services. There are three aims, namely to investigate, (i) the configurations of networks, (ii) the stability of network relationships over time and, (iii) the balance between formal and informal ties that underpin inter-agency relationships. Latent position cluster network models were used to characterise relationships. Managers were asked two questions, both designed to characterise informal relationships. The resulting networks differed substantially from one another in membership. Managers described networks of relationships that spanned organisational boundaries, and that changed substantially over time. The findings suggest that inter-agency co-ordination depends more on informal than on formal relationships.

Securities Regulation: Opportunities Exist for IIROC to Regulate Responsively

This article examines the applicability of responsive regulation within an inter-agency framework in the financial sector. To do so, the article uses the self-regulatory organization that is responsible for governing Canada’s investment dealers and brokerage firms—the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC)—as a prototype example to illustrate how responsive regulation may be encouraged within an inter-agency framework. While the theory aspires to general applicability, particular consideration is given to its ability to govern multiple agencies. In particular, the article pays attention to jurisdictional boundaries to ensure that inter-agency relationships have some legitimacy in market regulation.

Challenge Funds in International Development: Definitions, Variations and Research Directions

Summary The use of challenge funds to promote economic and social development continues to grow but has been the subject of relatively little research. This article draws on institutional economics (particularly principal-agent theory) to define challenge funds and review how they differ from other development funding mechanisms, taking into account their purpose, financial terms, interagency relationships, screening processes, selection mechanisms, implementation and risk sharing characteristics. It then draws on web-based data for 50 challenge funds to analyse variation in some of these characteristics. The paper identifies evaluability as an important influence, including the relative importance attached to promoting the financial performance of grantees relative to the indirect social benefits of their activities. We conclude with suggestions for further research into the design and performance of challenge funds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A System of Systems Framework for Health and Human Services

A system of systems is characterized by the properties of operational and managerial autonomy; belonging to a system collective; connectivity; diversity of operational characteristics, location, infrastructure and capability; and evolutionary development. It is also characterized by emergent synergistic behavior: the system of systems functionality is greater than the sum of the component functionality. This article offers a new framework for inter-agency health and human services systems as a system of systems. We discuss how the system of systems framework provides a new way of understanding the interoperability of health and human services – spanning multiple organizations – in the context of complex inter-agency relationships.

Integrating multidisciplinary science, modelling and impact data into evolving, syn-event volcanic hazard mapping and communication: A case study from the 2012 Tongariro eruption crisis, New Zealand

New Zealand's Tongariro National Park volcanoes produce hazardous eruptions every few years to decades. On 6 August 2012 the Te Maari vent of Tongariro Volcano erupted, producing a series of explosions and a fine ash of minor volume which was dispersed rapidly to the east. This manuscript presents a summary of the eruption impacts and the way these supported science communication during the crisis, particularly in terms of hazard map development. The most significant proximal impact was damage from pyroclastic surges and ballistics to the popular and economically-important Tongariro Alpine Crossing track. The only hazard to affect the medial impact zone was a few mms of ashfall with minor impacts. Field testing indicated that the Te Maari ash had extremely low resistivity when wetted, implying a very high potential to cause disruption to nationally-important power transmission networks via the mechanism of insulator flashover. This was not observed, presumably due to insufficient ash accumulation on insulators. Virtually no impacts from distal ashfall were reported. Post-event analysis of PM10 data demonstrates the additional value of regional air quality monitoring networks in quantifying population exposure to airborne respirable ash. While the eruption was minor, it generated a high level of public interest and a demand for information on volcanic hazards and impacts from emergency managers, the public, critical infrastructure managers, health officials, and the agriculture sector. Meeting this demand fully taxed available resources. We present here aspects of the New Zealand experience which may have wider applicability in moving towards improved integration of hazard impact information, mapping, and communication. These include wide use of a wiki technical clearinghouse and email listservs, a focus on multi-agency consistent messages, and a recently developed environment of collaboration and alignment of both research funding and technical science advice. Hazard maps were integral to science communication during the crisis, but there is limited international best practice information available on hazard maps as communication devices, as most volcanic hazard mapping literature is concerned with defining hazard zones. We propose that hazard maps are only as good as the communications framework and inter-agency relationships in which they are embedded, and we document in detail the crisis hazard map development process. We distinguish crisis hazard maps from background hazard maps and ashfall prediction maps, illustrating the complementary nature of these three distinct communication mechanisms. We highlight issues that arose and implications for the development of future maps.

Smart government, citizen participation and open data

The use of Information Technologies in government (or e-government) has evolved during the last few years to make the interactions between government and citizens (G2C), government and businesses (G2B), and inter-agency relationships (G2G) more effective, democratic and transparent [1,6,8]. Moreover, in the most recent years we have observed two important trends with an impact in all these interactions. On the one hand, governments around the world have engaged in a movement to open data with open licenses and in easier to re-use formats. On the other hand, technology ubiquity is contributing to the production of impressive amounts of data that have the potential to help us better understand complex social problems as well as to improve government relationships with citizens, private organizations, NGOs and other governments. Both trends together with a more extensive use of information technologies have been referred to as smart government or intelligent government. Smart government is considered as one of the key trends that governments have to follow for the next 10–15 years [7]. The concept of a smart community refers to the use of information and communication technologies by local governments and cities to better interact with their citizens, taking advantage of all available data to solve important problems [2]. However, in order to deliver the expected values, governments need not only to create new services to their citizens based on these technologies in order to improve their quality of life, but also to engage citizens in this new set of services. Hence, there are two main components to be considered: the extensive use of technology by governments, which we refer to as smart government, and the extensive use of technology by citizens to interact with governments, which we will refer to as citizens’ engagement.