The extent of cross-referral between the Prosecutor’s office and the Sheriff’s office suggests ongoing
communication such as that described in the literature by Smith (1995) and by Skaff (1988). For example,
the opportunity for in-person communication, specific detailed understandings about mutual case han-
dling, and a concern regarding frequent direct communication about work activities. In this study, as in
prior studies, it appears that such communication (as evidenced through the case coordination) results in
a more unified approach to case management. Where the consistent communication was lacking, between
CPS and the Prosecutor’s office, there was less evidence of coordinated multi-agency response and less
cross-agency knowledge of cases. While it is known that communication is a key element of collaboration
and multi-agency case processing, it appears that the degree of direct personal contact with mutual goals
for the case is critical to successfully processing the case through the system. This is a notable finding for all
child protection systems. The site chosen for this study was known for collaboration but the actual implementation
of the protocols was the point at which effective communication was either facilitated or hindered.
Therefore, it is not sufficient to rely on the existence of Multi-disciplinary Teams or Child Advocacy
Centers. The success of any protocol or collaborative arrangement lies in its day-to-day implementation.
On the technical side of collaboration, the use of common case identifiers across agencies is also
recommended. Experience in the data collection phase of this study emphasized the difficulty in matching