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Interorganizational relationships: The transition of special education students to adult human services
Abstract
Theory and research regarding interorganizational relations (IOR) can be applied to many situations in the field of human service delivery. An example of IOR in public human services occurs in the transition of special needs students from special education programs to adult human services. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the transitional process is defined by legislation entitled Chapter 688. This research examines Chapter 688 from the conceptual framework of IOR theory. It examines some of the issues and problems involved in the implementation of IOR in the transition process. The organizational domain is delimited to include four key Chapter 688 organizations (agencies): public schools, rehabilitation commission, department of mental health, and department of mental retardation. Local (area) directors of each organization completed a survey questionnaire containing three parts; knowledge of Chapter 688, attitudes toward Chapter 688 and IOR, and the Klonglan Scale (a measure of intensity of IOR). Information on actual referral patterns and IOR in Chapter 688 was obtained through document analysis of Individual Transition Plans, ITP, and State data base files on Chapter 688 referrals. The results of the study indicated that the local area directors of the target agencies involved in the Chapter 688 interorganizational relationships, IOR, have a good working knowledge of the law. The area directors are of the opinion that the components of Chapter 688 implementation are satisfactory. They value IOR as a means of improving services, but need to develop a clearer idea of IOR. The area directors' description of the intensity of IOR in the Klonglan Scale is not substantiated in terms of participation in ITP meetings and/or ITP services. Lastly, the local area directors identify the following barriers to interorganizational relationships: inadequate funding, lack of coordination of funding, lack of goal clarity and uniformity, and insufficient knowledge of, and trust in, other agencies.
Subject Area
Special education|Social research|Social work
Recommended Citation
Kerrigan, John Kevin, "Interorganizational relationships: The transition of special education students to adult human services" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9022701.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9022701