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Zilberstein K, Brown A, Hatcher AJ, Burton J, Gau J. Providers' experiences collaborating with child welfare workers: The good, the bad, and the impacts. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 152:106772. [PMID: 38574602 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Successful interprofessional collaborations have been identified as a potential solution to mitigate problems associated with negative outcomes for clients involved with the child welfare system. The barriers to collaborative relationships need to be better understood and effectively addressed. OBJECTIVE To understand the characteristics, barriers, and facilitators of collaborations between different types of providers and child welfare workers, as well as their impacts. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Mental health professionals, foster and kinship parents, legal professionals, and other providers responded to an online survey distributed in a Northeastern State of the United States of America. METHOD Participants (n = 208) completed the Quality of Collaboration with Child Welfare survey. Qualitative responses were analyzed by three coders using three levels of axial coding with constant comparison. RESULTS Participants identified different aspects of communication, relationships, and follow-through as key elements of successful collaborations, as well as the items most likely to interfere with their formation. Providers differed somewhat in how concerned they were with various aspects of collaborations in accordance with their professional roles. Barriers to successful collaborations included both individual and systemic factors which often resulted in negative outcomes. Overall, more negative experiences were offered than positive ones. CONCLUSIONS Strategies are needed to improve communication, promote positive relationships, and address systemic barriers to enhance collaboration and, in turn, improve outcomes for child welfare-involved clients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Brown
- Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, NY, New York, USA.
| | | | - J Burton
- Clinical and Support Options, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Jeff Gau
- Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR, USA.
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Bunger AC, Chuang E, Girth AM, Lancaster KE, Smith R, Phillips RJ, Martin J, Gadel F, Willauer T, Himmeger MJ, Millisor J, McClellan J, Powell BJ, Saldana L, Aarons GA. Specifying cross-system collaboration strategies for implementation: a multi-site qualitative study with child welfare and behavioral health organizations. Implement Sci 2024; 19:13. [PMID: 38347639 PMCID: PMC10863233 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-024-01335-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cross-system interventions that integrate health, behavioral health, and social services can improve client outcomes and expand community impact. Successful implementation of these interventions depends on the extent to which service partners can align frontline services and organizational operations. However, collaboration strategies linking multiple implementation contexts have received limited empirical attention. This study identifies, describes, and specifies multi-level collaboration strategies used during the implementation of Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma (Ohio START), a cross-system intervention that integrates services across two systems (child welfare and evidence-based behavioral health services) for families that are affected by co-occurring child maltreatment and parental substance use disorders. METHODS In phase 1, we used a multi-site qualitative design with 17 counties that implemented Ohio START. Qualitative data were gathered from 104 staff from child welfare agencies, behavioral health treatment organizations, and regional behavioral health boards involved in implementation via 48 small group interviews about collaborative approaches to implementation. To examine cross-system collaboration strategies, qualitative data were analyzed using an iterative template approach and content analysis. In phase 2, a 16-member expert panel met to validate and specify the cross-system collaboration strategies identified in the interviews. The panel was comprised of key child welfare and behavioral health partners and scholars. RESULTS In phase 1, we identified seven cross-system collaboration strategies used for implementation. Three strategies were used to staff the program: (1) contract for expertise, (2) provide joint supervision, and (3) co-locate staff. Two strategies were used to promote service access: (4) referral protocols and (5) expedited access agreements. Two strategies were used to align case plans: (6) shared decision-making meetings, and (7) sharing data. In phase 2, expert panelists specified operational details of the cross-system collaboration strategies, and explained the processes by which strategies were perceived to improve implementation and service system outcomes. CONCLUSIONS We identified a range of cross-system collaboration strategies that show promise for improving staffing, service access, and case planning. Leaders, supervisors, and frontline staff used these strategies during all phases of implementation. These findings lay the foundation for future experimental and quasi-experimental studies that test the effectiveness of cross-system collaboration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia C Bunger
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Emmeline Chuang
- School of Social Welfare, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Amanda M Girth
- John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Smith
- Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Jared Martin
- Center for Vulnerable Populations, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fawn Gadel
- Public Children Services Association of Ohio, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jen McClellan
- Public Children Services Association of Ohio, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Byron J Powell
- Center for Mental Health Services Research, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Dissemination & Implementation, Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lisa Saldana
- Lighthouse Institute, Chestnut Health Systems, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Gregory A Aarons
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Argente J, Martínez-Rico G, González-García RJ, Cañadas M. Bibliometric Analysis on the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices through Building Effective Systems. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:children10050813. [PMID: 37238361 DOI: 10.3390/children10050813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Implementing evidence-based practices in early intervention has generated new research interest in the need for effective early childhood systems. This study used a bibliometric analysis to discern the importance and relevance of the field. The analysis highlights that the main goals of the future direction of the research field need to be better defined. First, articles published in the Web of Science database between 2012 and 2022 were reviewed, and then word and author combinations were analyzed. Finally, articles were collected in different groups for bibliographic linking. Five key points were identified as the most important practices recommended by the Department of Early Childhood or Professional Development. It should be noted that the main difficulty encountered in this field arises from the novelty of our research topic, i.e., there is no research on constructing systems for early intervention. However, it is worth highlighting the articles that are relevant to the field of study and our success with integrating them in order to demonstrate the importance of serving children with disabilities and their families. In conclusion, the establishment of a system built on evidence-based practices is underdeveloped but shows promise for the future of early intervention systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Argente
- Doctoral School, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain
- Campus Capacitas, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain
| | - Gabriel Martínez-Rico
- Campus Capacitas, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Margarita Cañadas
- Campus Capacitas, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, 46001 Valencia, Spain
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