This study was conducted to assess the impact of SEDNET, the Multiagency Network for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Students, established by the Florida Legislature in 1982, and designed to increase collaboration among agencies enabling them to offer a comprehensive continuum of educational, mental health, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed children. / This study focused on this question: Has SEDNET accomplished these goals designed by the Florida Legislature? / Goal 1. Provision of a complete array of education, mental health treatment, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students; / Goal 2. Improvement of the quality of existing education, mental health treatment, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students; / Goal 3. Continuous multiagency planning, implementation, and evaluation of education, mental health treatment, and residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students; / Goal 4. Diffusion of exemplary policies and procedures developed by the pilot projects. / Data for this policy were drawn from the 1989 SEDNET Annual Reports submitted by the fifteen SEDNET Project Directors to the Florida Department of Education, from examination of State Department records, and from interviews with selected Key Informants. These data were examined to evaluate the effectiveness of the SEDNET projects according to the criteria established by the Legislature. The investigation focused on SEDNET's impact on the personnel within the collaborating agencies which provided education, mental health, or residential services for severely emotionally disturbed students, and on the effectiveness of the collaborative process in expanding and improving the array of services. Findings of this study showed that in most Florida districts, SEDNET acted as a catalyst for change and provided a community forum for emotionally disturbed children's issues. SEDNET had a positive influence in developing interagency relationships and increasing understanding. It was determined that while progress had been made in all areas, the Legislative goals for SEDNET had not been accomplished statewide. / Ten recommendations were offered which included renewal of SEDNET Legislation with increased funding, increased planning for future needs, and more in-depth evaluation of SEDNET projects. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: A, page: 4089. / Major Professor: John H. Hansen. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78358 |
| Contributors | Silva, Geraldyn Goodnight., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 183 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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