Getting Together: Ideas for Effective Collaborations

Foreword

The value of community collaborations in violence prevention cannot be denied. The structure of the collaboration, the cultural climate of the community, and the type of intervention selected have varied widely in the programs implemented under the Initiative. Successes have been reported on disparate fronts, reaffirming the belief that collaborative community efforts, geared to local realities, can help prevent school violence.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services built the congressionally mandated School Violence Prevention Initiative on that very foundation of collaborative efforts. School and Community Action Grants, Coalitions for Youth Violence Prevention, and the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Program, a landmark Federal collaboration among the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Justice, require cooperation by discrete agencies and organizations. These new Federal collaborations mirror the kinds of local partnerships that need to be and are being built to help communities succeed in their efforts to prevent school violence.

ACTION Pamphlet 2, Getting Together: Ideas for Effective Collaboration, focuses on the formation of a productive collaboration among local organizations for effective youth violence prevention. This is the second publication in the ACTION series, a set of informational pamphlets to assist communities in establishing programs for the prevention of school violence.

We hope this volume – and its companion publications – will help your coalition achieve the greatest possible success in your local community.

Charles G. Curie, M.A.,
A.C.S.W.
Administrator
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Gail Hutchings, M.P.A.
Acting Director
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

COLLABORATION is the key to effective social action in communities today. Cooperation in the community toward an important goal provides an opportunity to share knowledge and skills, avoid duplication of effort, apply the specific abilities of each member of the COLLABORATION, and increase human and financial resources available to prevent youth violence.

Theories abound regarding the key elements of COLLABORATIONS and how to establish them. Some people think strong COLLABORATIONS will result if they just follow a series of prescribed steps. In reality, groups that have competed against each other for funds, for participants, and even for community recognition discover that working in concert can be a complex and difficult process.

Creating collaborations and making them work demands a significant investment of time and energy, but it's worth it. The rewards can include sustained services, broader community involvement, and programs that actually do help prevent youth violence.

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