Community Resource Coordination Groups (CRCGs) assist state and local agencies with the coordination of their local service delivery for youth and their families with problems that can be addressed only with the participation of more than one agency. There are 151 local CRCGs that serve all 254 counties of Texas.
This was a two-year study. The main objectives of Phase I were to determine to what extent CRCGs are meeting the stated goals of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and to learn about the best practices of CRCGs in relation to the charge of the MOU. The research team conducted a focus group with CRCG members, visited four CRCG sites covering eleven Texas counties to observe the process of CRCG meetings, conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with CRCG members, and mailed out questionnaires to CRCG members. Most CRCGs seemed to effectively offer available services and funds. A strong chairperson was found to be essential for the effective facilitation of the CRCG process. A key component of this collaborative effort consisted of parents and agencies getting together, laying their resources out on the table and allowing parents to have some input into the treatment plans of their children.
The main objective of Phase II was to determine the extent to which families staffed by CRCGs valued the services that they received by administering a consumer satisfaction questionnaire to a representative sample of CRCG service recipients. Fifty-two respondents’ scores revealed an overall satisfaction with the services provided by CRCGs.
Overall, the CRCGs that participated in this study appeared to be meeting the stated objectives of their MOU and implementing effective practices to the satisfaction of their clients.