Multidisciplinary Teams and Collaboration in Child Abuse Intervention

Sudderth, L. K. (2003). An uphill climb: The challenge of collaboration in response to family violence in a rural area. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 8(4), 17-39. The Community Partnership Team (CPT) was created to more effectively address the problems of child sexual victimization and domestic violence in the rural, northeast corner of Connecticut. A multidisciplinary team was formed to improve collaboration between agencies serving victims of violence. Observations of meetings and confidential interviews suggested that most participants felt quite positively about the process; however, serious conflicts emerged between agencies serving different types of victims. Results indicated that it is important to identify barriers to collaboration, to recognize and use differences to build relationships across agencies, and to maintain a formal mechanism for resolving conflict. [Author Abstract] Bell, L. (2001). Patterns of interaction in multidisciplinary child protection teams in New Jersey. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25, 65-80. Objective: The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of how multidisciplinary team members in child protection worked together within the team, meeting to provide assessments of, and services to, children and families. Method: Fifteen multidisciplinary child-protection teams in New Jersey were observed during one meeting of each team. The interaction among team members was recorded and analyzed using a structured observation method, Bales’ Interaction Process Analysis. Results: There was a wide variation in participation among team members, with some contributing nothing to the meeting and others contributing a great deal. In some teams, participation by members