Factors associated with interagency coordination in a child mental health service system demonstration

Understanding the determinants of coordination between agencies in children's mental health service systems is important for program planning and evaluation. This article reports on the findings of a multiple regression analysis that examined factors associated with coordination between 63 agencies during a child mental health service demonstration. Greater coordination of activities was significantly associated with dyads that (a) helped each other attain individual agency goals (p<.001), (b) were influential in shaping mental health policy and programs (p<.01), (c) maintained resource linkages over time (p<.001), and (d) operated in the same service sector (p=.01). From a resource dependency perspective, findings suggest that coordination is facilitated when interorganizational relationships fulfill both the internal agency needs for goal attainment and the external needs for exerting control over the larger policy and program environment.