Toward a comprehensive agenda for the integration of child and family services

With the recent catastrophic financial failures of the free market ideologies and practices, the collapse of historically sound manufacturing corporations, and the simultaneous and massive financial and regulatory interventions by governments into the market in all countries, neo-liberal ideologies and politics will probably exert less influence than in the past. [...] On the other hand, over the years I have read about, been involved in and witnessed the development of integration of services at the level of community organizations and professionals in communities across Canada. [...] Integrating services means nothing less than profoundly changing the entire organizational culture surrounding the issue: the traditional way that people at all levels of the system of care think about and practice policy development; governance and community service delivery relationships; professional practices; and the means by which people work together to meet the needs of children and famili [...] The desired outcome of system reforms is to substantially and continuously improve the match between what and how services are delivered and the expressed and assessed needs of children, families, or caregivers as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery system and therapeutic programs. [...] System Issues Addressed by Integration Reform: A Brief Description of Current Issues The effects of disorganized, fragmented and turf-protecting provincial government ministries in Canada and other jurisdictions, disjointed legislation, and siloed funding and policy on the viability of integrated community service delivery systems, as well as the issue of the resulting community service fragmentat