Multi-level influences on the practice of inter-agency collaboration in child welfare and substance abuse treatment

Inter-agency collaboration in child welfare and substance abuse treatment is encouraged and sometimes required, but rarely adequately achieved. This study addresses inter-agency collaboration as a practice of frontline staff and seeks to illuminate organizational conditions and staff characteristics that can promote or hinder collaborative practice in everyday settings. Frontline staff (n = 216) and administrators (n = 20) in child welfare and substance abuse treatment agencies were surveyed about specific collaborative practices and potential individual and organization-level influences on practice, including beliefs, perceptions, knowledge and organizational policy. Multi-level models suggest that most variation in collaboration is within rather than between organizations, that staff member beliefs, knowledge, and perceptions of policy are associated with collaboration, and that collective perceptions develop within organizations. The findings have implications for efforts to promote inter-agency collaboration and other innovative practices.