Managing Conflict on Local Interagency Coordinating Councils

Abstract

Conflict resolution is an important communication skill for members of local interagency coordinating councils attempting to coordinate services to young children with special needs and their families. Harbin and McNulty (1990) proposed a conceptual model of local interagency councils and described six dimensions of the collaborative process among agencies providing early intervention services. Each dimension (climate, people, resources, agency, process, policies) has the potential of becoming a barrier to collaboration. This article reviews the literature on conflict resolution skills within the context of these six potential barriers, identifying strategies that may reduce these threats to collaboration.