141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

284685
Building better collaborations: A local health department and school district perspective

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 9:06 AM - 9:24 AM

Katie Arrington, MPH , UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Melissa M. Kelley, MS , School of Public Health, Community Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Kaitlin O'Keefe, MPH , UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH , Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Michael Prelip, MPH, DPA , Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
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.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health administration or related administration

Learning Objectives:
Identify key factors that contribute to the success and failure of collaborations between LHDs and school districts. Describe how specific factor components are associated with the success of collaborations between LHDs and school districts. Describe how results from this study can be applied to the development of future collaborative efforts between local health departments and school districts.

Keywords: School-Based Programs, Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract author because I conducted the analysis for this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.