October 2004

Q: How can interagency agreements among education and other agencies maximize resources and services for transitioning youth? What are the components of successful interagency agreements, and how can they be implemented?

A: One of the major principles of systems of care is interagency collaboration and the development of partnerships. Transition services and coordinated planning through the use of interagency agreements has been recognized as an effective method to serve youth with disabilities in their transition processes (Hadden, Fowler, Fink, & Wischnowski, 1995). Yet, there is a disconnect for youth with disabilities exiting high school who often fail to access the adult services they need. One of the contributing factors has historically been the difficulty in enforcing interagency agreements because of shared agency responsibility (Hadden et al., 1995). Many interagency agreements lack personnel to promote or enforce them and the agreements usually lack substance. We have a unique opportunity through our systems of care collaboration to change those outcomes.

Our students, who are provided with special education services and represent approximately half of our system of care enrolled population, are covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA). IDEA requires a sharing of transition programming responsibilities among special, vocational, general, and postsecondary education; employment services; vocational rehabilitation; social services; and mental health services. However, students as well as families and professionals may fail to receive critical and timely information and assistance from agency personnel (Johnson, Sharpe, & Sinclair, 1997). Most agency personnel have not had access to outside agency information nor experience in working with other agencies. This makes it difficult for them to assist youth and families in coordinating between benefits, employment, and reporting and eligibility requirements within and across each agency.

Interagency coordination provides an important solution to this problem. System of care collaboration for students with emotional and behavioral needs brings together community agencies to focus their collective expertise and combined resources to improve the quality of transition planning and coordinated services. Interagency planning and coordination may be supported through a variety of mechanisms. These include memoranda of understanding, interagency agreements, a transition coordinator assigned to work with other participating agencies, and guidelines for working with other agencies identified as potential service providers. The purpose of interagency collaboration, through the use of agreements among various agencies, is to facilitate smooth and seamless transitions for youth and facilitate information sharing among educators, adult service providers, and families (NCSET, 2004). In a developed system of care, the foundation of interagency agreements and collaboration makes this process more accessible to all providers and families.

Interagency coordination at the state and local levels also reduces the gap in service delivery, minimizes duplication of services, and decreases unnecessary expenses. Interagency transition teams not only implement interagency agreements, but they provide a mechanism for the school to access and share information and draw on community resources and services ( NCSET, 2004). Research shows that sustained interagency collaboration improves transition outcomes for youth with disabilities (Hasazi, Furney, & DeStefano, 2000).

An interagency agreement is a commitment of shared responsibility for student learning and a plan for the school, community, and family to collaborate in achieving positive adult outcomes for youth with disabilities. Effective interagency agreements include statements regarding purpose, operating principles and procedures, inventories of existing services and funding sources, dispute resolution, cross-agency training, and service coordination (Hadden et al., 1995; Kilburn & Critchlow, 1998). Interagency collaborative roles, responsibilities, and lines of communication are clarified in an interagency agreement. The strength of an agreement lies in the integrity with which collaborators follow through on their responsibilities as outlined in the agreement.

In summary, the establishment of interagency agreements promotes greater collaboration in agency planning and service provision for youth with disabilities. No single agency has the fiscal or personnel resources, the knowledge, or the legislative mandate to plan and deliver the multitude of services essential for effective transition planning. Interagency agreements implemented by productive, organized, and resourceful cross-agency teams are the foundation of effective and cohesive transition programming (NCSET, 2004).

Many of our system of care communities have developed memorandums of agreements and other interagency cooperative agreements. Most are happy to share those resources with other sites. If you have specific needs or requests related to this topic, please contact the TA Partnership for assistance with acquiring some examples.

References:

1998 Amendments to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Interagency Agreements. The Postsecondary Education Programs Network. http://www.pepnet.org/interagency-1.asp

Butterworth, S., & Metzel, D. (December, 2001). Developing interagency agreements: Four questions to consider. The Institute Brief, 11 (1). Boston , MA : Center on State Systems and Employment (RRTC), Institute for Community Inclusion. http://www.communityinclusion.org/publications/text/ib14.html

Hadden, S., Fowler, S., Fink, D., & Wischnowski, M. (1995). Writing an interagency agreement: A practical guide . Champaign , IL : FACTS/LRE. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 391328). Retrieved March 16, 2004, from http://facts.crc.uiuc.edu/facts5/facts5.html

Hasazi, S. B., Furney, K., & DeStephano, L. (2000). Implementing the IDEA transition mandates. Exceptional Children, 65 , 555–566.

Johnson, D. R., Sharpe, M., & Sinclair, M. (1997). Evaluating state and local efforts to implement the Part B transition service requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota , Institute on Community Integration.

Kilburn, J., & Critchlow, J. (Eds.). (1998). Best practices for coordinating transition services: Information for consumers, parents, teachers, and other service providers . Sacramento : California School-to-Work Interagency Transition Partnership (SWITP). (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 460–466).

NCSET(National Center for Secondary Education Transition) (2004). Retrieved from www.ncset.org on October 12, 2004.