NCJ Number
128763
Date Published
1987
Length
37 pages
Annotation
Effective program coordination is needed for at-risk youth who are likely to use drugs, become pregnant, be disruptive in school, or drop out of school.
Abstract
The State of Pennsylvania has made conscious efforts to facilitate coordination between education and other service agencies. The most attention has been paid to the coordination of services for preschool handicapped children. New school-based programs to treat the needs of teenage parents and drug and alcohol abusers are also envisioned. A study of coordination problems in Pennsylvania has identified two basic problems, interagency conflict and service blockages. Factors affecting the quality of coordination between agencies involve institutional survival concerns, differences in treatment philosophy, disagreements over department and agency regulations, limited service capacity of a school or agency, inadequate communication, and personal qualities of administrators. The coordination of programs and services focusing on early intervention, teenage pregnancy, and student assistance can increase the total cost of service delivery by increasing the demand for services. It is important to establish coordination arrangements that minimize competition between agencies, to adopt regulations that do not contribute directly to coordination problems, to identify program goals in relation to involved parties, to continue planning and adjustment after new projects have started to facilitate coordination, and to provide sufficient resources to reduce service blockages. 1 reference