Multiple Agency Involvement: How to Get Involved

Introduction 

In the modern world, multi-agency programs help troubled families by addressing their social and health problems as well as securing potential improvements to the outcome of their future lives. For years, family violence has been the core of all the suffering that many individuals go through in many communities. It often occurs in social contexts where there is poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, mental disorders and discrimination among other problems. The institution of multiple agency programs in some communities has led to the identification of all the proactive factors that can be used to mitigate the severity of the challenges. The purpose of this essay is to provide a comprehensive analysis of multi-agency programs by evaluating how they increase the quality of client services and contribute to the promotion of resiliency through treatment programs and preventive interventions. 

Part 1 

Service Integration Initiative 

In this intervention, multiple agency involvement is achieved through effective collaboration between social service providers, law enforcement agencies and health care providers ( National Research Council, 2008 ). These work together to enhance the design and quality of services that are provided to troubled families. This helps to reduce any cases of domestic violence, maltreatment and abuse within a family setting. This type of involvement increases the quality of service delivered to troubled families by identifying the opportunities that will help in integrating service plans for the purpose of reducing inefficiency. In addition to this, service provider awareness will also be increased so that the needs of different families are met by carefully studying the histories of the offenders and victims. This will in turn enhance the safety of victims and reduce the cases of family violence through legal assistance, child care programs and social service initiatives. 

Community-change Intervention 

Community change interventions are very effective because they shift the focus of power and authority from a centralized structure to community level initiatives ( Moran, at al., 2007 ). This is done by creating social networks in communities where family violence occurs frequently. It enables individuals to exercise more power in influencing the type and quality of services that are provided. Community change interventions are focused on addressing the issue of family violence at a societal level and as such, they advocate for a change through social and political reforms. This intervention strategy supports troubled families and protects children by instituting victim advocacy programs, battered women shelters, home visitation, parent education programs as well as other family support services. 

Part 2 

Evaluation of the Interventions 

Some of the main challenges that arise when evaluating these intervention programs occur as a result of the complexities of collaborating the initiatives ( Atkinson et al., 2001 ). Many professionals are encountered with the challenge of collaborating different ventures in the community when it comes to the resources and funding procedures as well as the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. In addition to this, the professional and agency management cultures may vary in different communities and as such, problems may arise as a result of competing priorities from both sides. During the early stages of project development, issues related to funding are normally the most challenging. In some instances, conflicts may arise over funding issues within or between the agencies and at some point, concerns of sustainability may come up in discussions. 

Communication may be a very big challenge at all levels of operations and as such, misunderstandings may arise during the implementation of strategies and daily operations of the activities ( Kruttschnitt et al., 2004 ). This may particularly be an issue when it comes to the scope of coordinator-led initiatives because the individuals who are involved are normally disparate. Operational teams may also fail to come to a common agreement when it comes to some key areas in the project. This may lead to conflicts between agency cultures and professionals, yielding a very big challenge to the individuals who are in charge of implementing multiagency strategies. 

Part 3 

Assessment of Human Service Professionals and Ethical Issues 

Human service professionals operating in multi-agency programs must be well trained, high quality front-line practitioners with the capacity to effectively respond to the agenda and deliver preventative interventions ( Atkinson et al., 2001 ). For quality services to be achieved, it is imperative for these individuals to possess knowledge and past experience regarding the issue of family problems. They must be able to integrate the resources of the agency with the available facilities so that they can develop a strategic plan for helping troubled families. In addition to this, they must exhibit qualities of integrity, transparency and competence while executing their duties. Access to data and the disclosure of family details may emerge as the main ethical issue for professionals who deal with troubled families. The procedure for handling such data should therefore be well outlined so that confidential information is not leaked to the general public. 

Conclusion 

Multi agency programs are very crucial organizations that assist communities to overcome a particular problem. From the discussion provided above, it is evident that these organizations play a very big role when it comes to the issue of family violence. Through service integration initiatives and community change interventions, these agencies are able to identify the challenges facing troubled families and develop potential solutions to minimize the cases of violence at the household level. 

References 

Atkinson, M., Wilkin, A., Stott, A., Doherty, P., & Kinder, K. (2001).  Multi-agency working: A detailed study . Local Government Association. 

Kruttschnitt, C., McLaughlin, B. L., Petrie, C., National Research Council, & National Research Council. (2004).  Advancing the federal research agenda on violence against women . Washington, D.C: National Academies Press. 

Moran, P., Jacobs, C., Bunn, A., & Bifulco, A. (2007). Multi‐agency working: Implications for an early‐intervention social work team.  Child & Family Social Work ,  12 (2), 143-151. 

National Research Council. (2008).  Violence in families: Assessing prevention and treatment programs . National Academies Press.