Municipals' Influence in State Social Policy. The Role of Area Strategy

摘要

The Massachusetts area strategy planning teams (ASPT), a concerted effort by six State agencies to cooperate in planning for, developing, and implementing human services, is described with emphasis on ways to integrate ASPT with local government. The year 1977 to 1978 was the first period of operation for the ASPT, which is composed of nearly 40 teams made up of representatives from the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Public Welfare, the Department Office for Children, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Commission for the Blind, and the Division of Special Education of the Department of Education. However, there was little awareness among local government officials that the ASPT existed. It is recommended that the ASPT should ask the municipality to designate a formal contact person for receiving and communicating information to the team in its area of interest, invite local participation in the ASPT when the teams are ready, cultivate a day to day working relationship with appropriate local professional staffs regarding issues of planning and management of human services, and recognize certain protocols for formally communicating with local governments. The State should adopt a policy which recognizes the special status, authority, and responsibility of local general purpose government for human services and area strategy and extend the goal of the area strategy effort to develop an intergovernmental partnership between State and local government. Municipalities should develop an internal capacity for managing, monitoring, and advising chief officials on human services and an intermunicipal network for the purpose of discussing human services issues. A description of a proposed local government human services office is provided as well as an outline for linking municipalities and area strategy. Specific recommendations for local and State government and background on State - local issues are provided.