Child & Family Policy Center - NCSI: National Center for Service Integration

NCSI: National Center for Service Integration

CFPC heads the Technical Assistance Clearinghouse of the National Center for Service Integration (NCSI), established in 1991 through federal funding to serve as a resource center on community-based strategies to develop more comprehensive and effective services for children and families. Although federal funding has ended, CFPC continues to manage the clearinghouse and disseminate NCSI resource briefs and other publications on topics related to service integration. Several publications have been produced, with many listed below. These may be downloaded from this website:

Philanthropy, Advocacy, Vulnerable Children and Federal Policy: Three Essays on A New Era of Opportunity (March 2009)

Clinical Health Care Practices and Community Building: Addressing Racial Disparities in Healthy Child Development (March 2009)

Funding What Works: Exploring the Role of Research on Effective Programs and Practices in Government Decision-Making (May 2001)

Social Services Systems Reform in Poor Neighborhoods: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out (December 2000)

Reinventing Common Sense (January 1999)

Resident Experts: Supporting Neighborhood Organizations and Individuals in Collecting and Using Information (1999)

Wise Counsel: Redefining the Role of Consumers, Professionals, and Community Workers in the Helping Process (March 1998)

Realizing a Vision for Children, Families, and Neighborhoods: An Alternative to Other Modest Proposals (1996)

Moving from Art to Craft: Conversations with Technical Assistance Providers on Building Capacity to Assist Comprehensive, Cross-System Reform (1994)

Beyond the Buzzwords: Key Principles in Effective Frontline Practice (1994)

Getting Started: Planning a Comprehensive Services Initiative (1994)

Making a Difference: Moving to Outcome-Based Accountability for Comprehensive Service Reforms (1994)

Building Community: Exploring New Relationships Across Service Systems Reform, Community Organizing, and Community Economic Development (1993)

Charting a Course: Assessing a Community’s Strengths and Needs (1993)

Getting to the Bottom Line: State and Community Strategies for Financing Comprehensive Community Service Systems (1993)

Making it Simpler: Streamlining and Integrating Intake and Eligibility (1993)

Who Should Know What: Confidentiality and Information Sharing in Service Integration (1993)

So You Think You Need Some Help? Making Effective Use of Technical Assistance (1992)

NCSI Occasional Papers

Occasional Paper #15: Disinvested Communities and Comprehensive Services: Linking Family, Community, and Economic Assistance (June 1995)

Occasional Paper #16: Towards Defining Government's Role as Catalyst: Building Social Capital in Disinvested Communities (November 1995)

Occasional Paper #21: Legislating Devolution: Developing State Statutory Frameworks to Support Community-Based Service Systems (April 1996)

Occasional Paper #23: Family Services Systems Reform in Pennsylvania: An Assessment of Impact and Opportunity (March 2000)

NCSI Clearinghouse Guidebooks

Guidebook #2: Defining the Prize: From Agreed-Upon Outcomes to Results-Based Accountability

Describes the manner in which communities can establis measurable goals and how these relate to programmatic strategies and accountability.

Guidebook #3: Valuing Diversity and Practicing Inclusion: Core Aspects of Collaborative Work.

Discusses the importance of recognizing differences and placing issues of race, class, and culture on the table.

Guidebook #6: Getting to the Grassroots: Neighborhood Organizing and Mobilization

Describes the steps that service collaborations must take to connect with neighborhood resources, reach out to individuals, and include neighborhood voices in all aspects of reform.