School and agency collaboration in a cost conscious health care environment

The need to reduce costs in the health care system has initiated changes that challenge social workers as well as other professions to reassess their roles and functions. While such a reassessment would optimally emerge from collaboration between school and agency, productive communication between them has been limited. This paper suggests ways to initiate this important dialogue by focusing on areas of mutual interest and concern such as (1) the development of adaptations to a cost conscious environment, (2) reassessment of the generalist/specialist balance, and (3) restructuring supervision, consultation, and continuing education. It is suggested that such a focused dialogue might reduce the perceived "widening gap" in communication and empower both school and agency to respond to the crisis with greater creativity and effectiveness.