System Navigators and Service Coordination

At Ideal Elementary, our system navigation and resource coordinating team helps ensure cohesion and integration of support programs for students and families.

  • The team ensures regular child-focused communication among the faculty and school staff and also communicates with families about available assistance and referral processes.
  • The team coordinates resources and monitor programs to ensure that they are functioning effectively and efficiently.

The Ideal Elementary Service Coordination Team does this, in part, by:

  • Identifying and providing a list of available resources (programs, personnel, special projects, services, agencies) at the school, in the district, and in the community.
  • Clarifying how school staff and families can gain access to resources.
  • Providing case management services.
  • Mediating problems related to resource allocation and scheduling.
  • Exploring ways to improve and augment existing resources to ensure that a wider range are available.

Team membership typically includes school leadership, representatives of all activities designed to support a school’s teaching efforts, and representatives of community agencies already connected with the school.

References

Five-Year National Evaluation Summary Report: A comprehensive analysis of the findings on the impact of Communities In Schools, ICF International, October 2010.

Anderson-Butcher, D., Lawson, H. A., Iachini, A., Flaspohler, P., Bean, J., & Wade-Mdivanian, R. (2010). Emergent Evidence in Support of a Community Collaboration Model for School Improvement. Children & Schools, 32(3), 160-171. (abstract only)

Palmer, D. J., McCorkle, L., Durbin, S., & O’Neill, K. (2001). PREPARATION AND EXPERIENCE OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN. Education, 121(3), 554.

Bronstein, L. R., & Kelly, T. B. (1998). A Multidimensional Approach to Evaluating School-Linked Services: A School of Social Work and County Public School Partnership. Social Work in Education, 20(3), 152-164.

Shepard-Tew, D., & Creamer, D. (1998). Elementary school integrated services teams: Applying case-management techniques. Professional School Counseling, 2(2), 141.

Adelman, H. S. (1996). Restructuring education support services and integrating community resources: Beyond the full.. School Psychology Review, 25(4), 431.

Rosenblum, L., DiCecco, M., Taylor, L., & Howard, S. (1995). Upgrading School Support Programs through Collaboration: Resource Coordinating Teams. Social Work in Education, 17(2), 117-124.

Page added 3/28/2011.