1. Barriers and Supports for Collaboration 17th Annual Statewide Summit on Homelessness and Housing
Laura R. Bronstein, ACSW, LCSWR, PhD
Dean, College of Community and Public Affairs
Professor, Department of Social Work
Director, Institute for Multigenerational Studies
Binghamton University

2. My path to the study of collaboration

3. Current Research on Collaboration in Homeless Services
Wilkins, Mullins, Mahan, & Canfield (2015).
Homeless liaisons’ awareness about the
implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act.
Factors that were statistically significant in the extent of implementation:
Collaboration with teachers
Collaboration with school administrators
Awareness of homeless educational policy
“The importance of collaboration cannot be emphasized
enough. Homeless liaisons’ perceptions
of collaboration suggest that although it
may be imperfect, it is important (p.63).”

4. Current Research on Collaboration in Homeless Services
Davey & Ivery (2009). Using organizational collaboration and community partnerships to transition families from homelessness to home ownership: The HomeBuy5 Program.
“Ironically, it is often those agencies that are trying to help families that are sometimes instrumental in their decline” (p.156).
“To facilitate the establishment and maintenance of… relationships, the HomeBuy5 Program requests that the community partners make a relatively
long-term commitment to the
collaboration” (p.164).

5. Current Research on Collaboration in Homeless Services
Cretzmeyer, Moeckli, & Liu (2014). Barriers and facilitators to Veterans Administration collaboration with community providers: The Lodge Project for homeless veterans.
Key theme: Lack of coordination between community providers and the VA due to institutional barriers through regulations, bureaucracy, & information sharing. “Primary barriers to the effectiveness of the Lodge’s program were regulations hindering cooperation between service programs” (p.698).

6. Current Research on Collaboration in Homeless Services
Patterson, Cronley, West, & Lantz (2014). Social justice manifest: A university-community partnership to promote the individual right to housing.
Usefulness of partnering with local universities to answer questions and address homelessness through community-based research.

7. An Initial Definition of Collaboration
A relational system in which two or more stakeholders pool resources together in order to meet objectives that neither could meet individually.
-Graham & Barter, 1999

8. A Model of Collaboration
Interdependence
COLLABORAT I ON
Newly Created Professional Activities
Flexibility
Collective Ownership of Goals
Reflection on Process

9. Interdependence
Utilizing other professionals/organizations for their particular expertise. Providing feedback to other professionals/organizations in one’s setting. Communicating with professionals from other disciplines/organizations. Understanding the attributes and strengths of other professionals/organizations.

10. Newly Created Professional Activities
New programs emerge from the collective
work of colleagues from different
disciplines/organizations.
A coalition, task force or committee develops
out of interdisciplinary/interorganizational efforts.
Creative outcomes emerge from work with colleagues from other professions/organizations that have not been predicted.

11. Flexibility
Professionals take on tasks outside of their job description when that seems important.
Professionals sacrifice a degree of autonomy to support cooperative problem solving.
Decisions are made cooperatively by professionals from different disciplines/organizations.

12. Collective Ownership Of Goals
Professionals from different disciplines/organizations encourage family members’ participation in decisions.
Interactions with colleagues from different disciplines/organizations occurs in a climate where there is freedom to be different and to disagree.
Professionals from different disciplines/organizations
are straightforward when sharing information with clients/patients/students.

13. Reflection on Process
Professionals from different disciplines/organizations talk about ways to involve other professionals in their work together.
Professionals work to create positive climates in their organizations.
Professionals from different disciplines/organizations address obstacles to their successful
collaboration.

14. Influences on Collaboration
Professional Role
Structural Characteristics
Collaboration
Interdependence
Newly Created Professional Activities
Flexibility
Collection Ownership of Goals
Reflection on Process
Personal Characteristics
History of Collaboration

15. Structural Characteristics
Space to collaborate
Time to collaborate
Supervisor support to collaborate
Workload allowing for collaboration

16. Professional Role Allegiance to profession
Allegiance to agency/organization
Allegiance to larger goal

17. History of Collaboration
Prior experience of collaboration in internship
Prior positive experience of collaboration in internship
Prior experience of collaboration in employment
Prior positive experience of collaboration in employment

18. Personal Characteristics
Trusting collaborators
Liking collaborators
Socializing with collaborators
Respecting collaborators

19. Next Steps
Determine levels of collaboration occurring in and across agencies
Determine where efforts towards greater collaboration can be directed
Disseminate results in order to pay attention to areas that can be bolstered to improve collaboration
Determine the relationship between levels of collaboration and outcomes for clients