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Conceptualising and Facilitating Success in Interagency Collaborations: Implications for Practice from the Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Miriam Herlihy*
Affiliation:
Institute of Education, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
*
address for correspondence: Miriam Herlihy, Institute of Education, Massey University, Albany, Private Bag 102 904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland 0745, New Zealand. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Collaboration between normally separate agencies involved in cases of child mental health, and those supporting their participation and inclusion in school settings, is being increasingly promoted as the answer to intervening in a more ecologically valid and responsive manner. Yet a clear-cut evidence base supporting interagency collaboration in practice is hindered by wide variation in how collaboration is defined, how collaborative initiatives are established and run, and how the success of widely varying programs is interpreted or evaluated. Despite this variation, some strong indicators of success continue to appear. An overview of the literature on interagency collaboration in the context of child mental health, special education, and wellbeing is presented, including risks, benefits, and indicators of success.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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