Building better collaborations: A local health department and school district perspective

Introduction: More effective collaborations between local health departments (LHDs) and school districts are essential in fulfilling the health needs of vulnerable children. To establish joint programs, it is important to identify components contributing to the success or failure of joint efforts. Future programs can then be developed taking these success/failures into account.

Methods: To determine factors contributing to successful collaborations between LHDs and school districts, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center (PERRC) conducted a national survey evaluating collaborative public health efforts between organizations. Using a national stratified random sample of both 750 LHDs and school districts, questionnaires were designed and electronically distributed to the individuals responsible for emergency preparedness. Questions were intended to assess elements of collaboration most associated with program success and failure.

Results: The UCLA PERRC team identified the following factors for success: communication, funding, and organizational engagement. Formal and informal methods of communication were associated with successful collaborations. The most successful programs had higher levels of organizational engagement, including regularly scheduled meetings and commitment from all partners when compared with the least successful programs. Barriers to successful collaborations include lack of funding, time, desire, and administrative support.

Conclusion: Many critical components exist within effective collaborations. This study identified key factors contributing to the success and failure of collaborations between LHDs and school systems. Further research is needed to evaluate if specific characteristics are more critical within specific programs or if programs are inherently more likely to be successful than others.