Assessment of a service provider self-study method to promote interorganizational and community collaboration

With an emphasis by both public and private funding sources on community-level service integration, many social service organizations have been required to shift from traditional "silo" models of service delivery to increased community-based collaboration and service coordination. There is a paucity of research to identify successful methods to achieve these goals. This article describes a self-study method used to engage service providers in a community development effort designed to meet the needs identified by local residents within their community and empower a rural, unincorporated community with scarce resources. It also reports qualitative outcomes that assessed the utility of a self-study method to achieve collaboration and community empowerment. Communication, ownership, input, and investment among providers appear to be key components to achieving long-term sustainability and success. Implications for the utility of the self-study method for achieving community service integration that aligns with basic principles of community development are discussed.