Learning Collaborative Example

Abstract:

This study examined the impact of a learning collaborative composed of five child mental health agencies which was conducted from November 2005 to November 2006 in a suburban community adjacent to New York City.

The following data submitted by each agency were retrospectively analyzed:

1) initial show-rates for first intake appointments for all new evaluations of children and adolescents, and/or;
2) attendance at any scheduled clinic appointment subsequent to the first kept intake appointment.

Agencies reported an increase in kept initial appointments ranging from 5% to 21% over the previous year, while kept subsequent appointments evidenced an increase between 2% and 16%. In contrast, one site that did not administer the engagement strategies noted a decrease in both engagement and subsequent appointment rates during the course of the collaborative between 9% and 13% respectively.

These findings support the effectiveness of learning collaboratives for improving service use among youth with mental health difficulties and their families.

I am smelling the seeds of a research question for my dissertation. When I was a beginning school social worker at an elementary school in South LA, my kept rate for intakes with parents was about a frustrating 50%. When I went to work at high schools in North Hollywood and East LA, it went up to 90% (thanks to consultation with my Clinical Supervisor). By the time I got to Harmony ES, it was at 99%. Parents didn't change, I did, or at least my engagement strategies did.