Statewide Directives
In 1991, the Governor established the Human Service Interagency Work Group, which includes directors of the Departments of Mental Health, Public Health, Social Services, Education, and the Agency on Aging. The group assesses existing systems, facilitates programmatic cooperation, and advises the Governor. In April 1991, the directors sent the Governor an action agenda for children's services and a set of principles to guide interdepartmental policy- and decision-making with regard to children and families. The principles "emphasize the importance of prevention through health, education, and family support services and recognize the role and responsibilities of families and communities in developing healthy and achieving children."
Legislation
Legislation requires program coordination and interagency collaboration for state and federal programs housed in the Department of Education, which may include formal written agreements, shared staff and resources, interagency and intradepartmental planning and implementation, and joint staff training. Head Start programs and other agencies must coordinate comprehensive services, and many of the federally funded programs in the state departments are required to work with community programs to provide services to specific clients. Programs housed in the Department of Education affected by legislative requirements include the following:
Preschool Program for Four Year Old Children "At Risk" (state funded) The Michigan Early Childhood Program has established collaborative efforts with service units within the Department. Collaborative efforts with other state departments and agencies or organizations to coordinate staff training, facilitate the legal operation of programs, and serve on ad hoc or planning committees are also established. At the local level, all programs must maintain advisory committees drawn from the Departments of Health, Social Services, appropriate volunteer agencies, and parents. Nearly one-fifth of the local school districts have formal subcontracting relationships with Head Start to implement the preschool program.
Compensatory Education Chapter 1 (federal funds), Article 3 (state funds), and Even Start (federal funds) Intradepartmental collaborative efforts have been established between Compensatory Education, the Special Education Service Unit, and the Comprehensive Programs in Health and Early Childhood to facilitate program planning and local staff training for Chapter 1 and Article 3. Early Childhood staff are working with staff from Chapter 1 and from the Adult Literacy unit to implement Even Start.
Child Care and Development Block Grant (federal) The Department of Social Services has a contractual relationship with local Head Start programs and the Department of Education to implement 25% of the grant to "improve the quality and availability of child development programs and before and after school child care." Agencies receiving a grant from the Department of Education are required to establish an advisory committee and coordinate services with other programs within their communities.
Dependent Care (preschool category) (federal) The Department of Education has a contractual relationship with the Department of Social Services to administer and implement the resources and referral component of the Dependent Care Grant. The 4-C offices offer child care provider training, technical assistance, and resource and referral services for parents.
Migrant Education (federal funds) Additional funding for meals of preschool children enrolled in migrant programs are available through collaborative efforts with the Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Program. The State Education Agency (SEA) works with the existing Chapter 1 Even Start programs and encourages local education agencies to assist Migrant Head Start programs in the recruitment and referral process.
Special Education Program for Children Birth Through Five Years of Age (federal and state) Special efforts for intra-agency and inter-agency collaboration were undertaken through participation on statewide planning, steering, and/or advisory committees designed to improve coordinated services for children with handicapping conditions. Intra-agency collaboration consists of program implementation of the Michigan Child Find Project and an Annual Training Conference for Preprimary Special Education, Early Intervention staff, Part H Coordinators and staff from state-funded preschool programs.
Part H of IDEA - Infant and Toddler Program A Governor-appointed State Interagency Coordinating Council advises the Michigan Department of Education, the lead agency, in the planning, development, and administration of the Infant and Toddler Early Intervention Program. Both public and private providers of early intervention services, parents, advocates, and others are involved in this process. In addition, the Department uses Part H federal funds to support staff liaisons in the partner agencies (Departments of Mental Health, Public Health, and Social Services) to facilitate the coordination of interagency programs and services. Across Michigan, local interagency coordinating councils are working to identify and coordinate all appropriate resources for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families.
Funding Sources
Both state and federal funds are used for collaboration to ensure legislatively required program implementation, e.g., Part H of IDEA and State-Funded Preschool.
Implications
The implication of collaboration between policymakers, state-level and local administrators and staff would be to establish more cost-effective federal and state budgets, and identifying gaps and/or duplication of existing services. This will lead to improved long-range program planning and more accurate budget projections.
Constraints
Constraints include communication (understanding professional jargon among diverse disciplines); restrictive legislation and regulations; a shortage of staff trained to take a multidisciplinary and interagency approach; and territorial issues. Moreover, with so many efforts - all requiring coordination - there is a need to "coordinate" the coordination. In October 1992, the State Board of Education approved a position within the SEA, the Assistant Superintendent for Interagency Coordination and Special Projects, to work toward this goal.
Future
All existing efforts will continue. Indeed, they will intensify and expand, because effective program "models" are being developed, and the products from these efforts are being disseminated through training conferences and presentations.
Posted on March 23, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-3mi.htm