Conceptualizing collaboration between children’s services and child and adolescent psychiatry: A bottom—up process based on a qualitative needs assessment among the professionals
Restricted accessOtherFirst published online April, 2010
Conceptualizing collaboration between children’s services and child and adolescent psychiatry: A bottom—up process based on a qualitative needs assessment among the professionals
Little is known about the need of professionals of children’s services and child and adolescent psychiatry to collaborate. This study aimed to explore the perception of practitioners of both services with regard to a future collaborative partnership improving the wellbeing of children in children’s services. Eight focus groups were performed and analysed, following the principles of the Grounded Theory. The focus groups revealed that the professionals agree considerably concerning the outlines of the collaboration. They agree upon the primary goal of the partnership, their expected role and tasks. In addition, the partnership should develop in an atmosphere of mutual respect and with the intention to provide the best care for the child. The results of the focus groups are discussed in consideration of a future implementation of interventions on developing best practices at the intersection of children’s services and child and adolescent psychiatry.
Arcelus, J., Bellerby, T., & Vostanis, P. ( 1999). A mental health service for young people in the care of the local authority. Clinical Child Psychiatry and Psychology , 4, 233-245.
2.
Brandon, M., Howe, A., Dagley, V., Salter, C., & Warren, C. ( 2006). What appears to be helping or hindering practitioners in implementing the Common Assessment Framework and lead professional working ? Child Abuse Review, 15(6), 396-413.
3.
Bruner, C., Kunesh, L.G., & Knuth, R.A. ( 1992). What does research say about interagency collaboration?Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
4.
Burns, B., Costello, E.J., Angold, A., Tweed, D., Stangl, D., Farmer, E.M.Z., & Erkanli, A. ( 1995). Children’s mental health service use across service sectors. Health Affairs, 14(3), 147-159.
5.
Burns, B., Phillips, S., Wagner, R., Barth, R., Kolko, D., Campbell, Y., & Landsverk, J. ( 2004). Mental health need and access to mental health services by youths involved with child welfare: A national survey. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(8), 960-970.
6.
Callaghan, J., Pace, F., Young, B., & Vostanis, P. ( 2003). Primary mental health workers within youth offending teams: A new service model. Journal of Adolescence, 26(2), 185-199.
7.
Cameron, A., & Lart, R. ( 2003). Factors promoting and obstacles hindering joint working: A systematic review of the research evidence. Journal of Integrated Care, 11(2A), 9-17.
8.
Costongs, C., & Springett, J. ( 1997). Joint working and the production of a City Health Plan: The Liverpool experience. Health Promotion International, 12, 9-12.
9.
Cottrell, D., Lucey, D., Porter, I., & Walker, D. ( 2000). Joint working between child and adolescent mental health services and the Department of Social Services: The Leeds Model. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 5, 481-489.
10.
Darlington, Y., Feeney, J., & Rixon, K. ( 2004). Complexity, conflict and uncertainty: Issues in collaboration between child protection and mental health services. Children and Youth Services Review, 26, 1175-1192.
11.
Darlington, Y., Feeney, J., & Rixon, K. ( 2005a). Interagency collaboration between child protection and mental health services: Practices, attitudes and barriers. Child Abuse & Neglect, 29, 1085-1098.
12.
Darlington, Y., Feeney, J., & Rixon, K. ( 2005b). Practice challenges at the intersection of child protection and mental health. Child and Family Social Work, 10, 239-247.
13.
Denning, J.D., & Verschelden, C. (1993). Using the focus group in assessing training needs: Empowering child welfare workers. Child Welfare, 72(6), 569-580.
14.
Dowling, B., Powell, M., & Glendinning, C. (2004). Conceptualising successful partnerships. Health and Social Care in the Community, 12(4), 309-317.
15.
Friedman, S.R., Reynolds, J., Quan, M.A., Call, S., Crusto, C.A., & Kaufman, J.S. ( 2007). Measuring changes in interagency collaboration: An examination of the Bridgeport Safe Start Initiative. Evaluation and Program Planning, 30(3), 294-306.
16.
Goodman, R. ( 1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 38, 581-586.
17.
Hallett, C., & Birchall, E. ( 1992). Co-ordination and child protection: A review of the literature . London: HMSO. Hetherington, R., Baistow, K., Katz, I., Mesie, J., & Trowell, J. ( 2002). The welfare of children with mentally ill parents: Learning from inter-country comparisons. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
18.
Johnson, M.O. ( 2001). Meeting health care needs of a vulnerable population: Perceived barriers. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 18(1), 35-52.
19.
Johnson, P., Wistow, G., Schulz, R., & Hardy, B. ( 2003). Interagency and interprofessional collaboration in community care: The interdependence of structures and values. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 17(1), 69.
20.
Kelly, C., Allan, S., Roscoe, P., & Herrick, E. ( 2003). The mental health needs of looked after children: An integrated multi-agency model of care. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8(3), 323-335.
21.
Kitzinger, J. ( 1994). The methodology of focus groups: The importance of interaction between research participants. Sociology of Health and Illness , 16, 103-121.
22.
Kitzinger, J. ( 1995). Introducing focus groups (Qualitative Research, part 5). British Medical Journal, 311(7000), 299-303.
23.
Knitzer, J., & Yelton, S. ( 1990). Collaborations between child welfare and mental health . Public Welfare, 48(2), 24.
24.
Krueger, R.A. ( 1998). Moderating focus groups: The focus group kit (Vol. 4) . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
25.
Lyons, J.S., & Rogers, L. ( 2004). The U.S. Child Welfare System: A de facto public behavioral health care system. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(8), 971-973.
26.
McCann, J., James, A., Wilson, S., & Dunn, G. ( 1996). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in young people in the care system. British Medical Journal, 313, 225-233.
27.
MacDougall, C., & Fudge, E. ( 2001). Planning and recruiting the sample for focus groups and in-depth interviews. Qualitative Health Research, 11(1), 117-126.
28.
Mattessich, P.W., Murray-Close, M., & Monsey, B.R. ( 2004). Collaboration - What makes it work. St Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
29.
Meltzer, H., Gatward, R., Corbin, T., Goodman, R., & Ford, T. ( 2003). The mental health of young people looked after by local authorities in England. London: The Stationery Office.
30.
Morrison, T. ( 1996). Partnership and collaboration: Rhetoric and reality. Child Abuse & Neglect, 20(2), 127-140.
31.
Nicholas, B., Roberts, S., & Wurr, C. ( 2003). Looked after children in residential homes. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 8(2), 78-83.
32.
Pilowsky, D. ( 1995). Psychopathology among children placed in family foster care. Psychiatric Services, 46(9), 906-910.
33.
Powell, R., & Single, H. ( 1996). Focus groups. International Journal of Quality in Health Care, 8, 499-504.
34.
Quinn, K., & Cumblad, C. ( 1994). Service providers’ perceptions of interagency collaboration in their communities. Journal of Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, 2(2), 109.
35.
Race, K.E., Hotch, D.F., & Parker, T. ( 1994). Rehabilitation program evaluation: use of focus groups to empower clients. Evaluation Review, 18(6), 730-740.
36.
Salmon, G. ( 2004). Multi-agency collaboration: The challenges for CAMHS . Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 9(4), 156-161.
37.
Secker, J., & Hill, K. ( 2001). Broadening the partnerships: Experiences of working across community agencies. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 15(4), 341-350.
38.
Sloper, P. ( 2004). Facilitators and barriers for co-ordinated multi-agency services. Child: Care, Health and Development, 30(6), 571-580.
39.
Stanley, N. ( 2005). Developing structures and training for new partnerships in child protection. Child Abuse Review, 14(5), 293-296.
40.
Stanley, N., Penhale, B., Riordan, D., Barbour, R.S., & Holden, S. ( 2003). Working at the interface: Identifying professional responses to families with mental health and child-care needs. Health and Social Care in the Community, 11(3), 208-218.
41.
Stevenson, O. ( 1989). Child abuse: Professional practice and public policy . London: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
42.
Stiffman, A.R., Hadley-Ives, E., Doré, P., Polgar, M., Horvath, V.E., Striley, C., & Elze, D. ( 2000). Youths’ access to mental health services: The role of providers’ training, resource connectivity, and assessment of need . Mental Health Services Research, 2(3), 141-154.
43.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, T. ( 1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. London: SAGE Publications.
44.
Williamson, V. ( 2001). The potential of project status to support partnerships . In S. Balloch & M. Taylor (Eds.), Partnership working: Policy and practice (pp. 117-141). Bristol: Polity Press.
45.
Worall, A., & O’Herlihy, A. (2001). Psychiatrists’ views of in-patient child and adolescent mental health services: A survey of members of the child and adolescent faculty of the College. Psychiatric Bulletin, 25, 219-222.
