The idea of the community as a real-life laboratory is not a new idea for Sage. The Community Resource Teams make formal the type of connections that have long occurred incidentally. And the advantages are obvious. Community organizations have access to expertise that would not otherwise be available. Students have the opportunity to participate in relevant experience that adds depth and breadth to classroom instruction.
Faculty members have ample opportunities to connect theory and practice.
Students whose primary contacts have been limited to students in their own program have the chance to work with those from other disciplines, which requires the type of interactions, negotiations and collaborations that are found in the work setting. Plans for future Community Resource Teams include connections between the health sciences areas and education, between business and health science, between community psychology and public administration, as well as many other possibilities. Bringing together faculty and students from occupational therapy and special educations, for example, may lead to research into how to sustain the effects of therapy after the therapy session. Physical therapy students working with nursing students under the supervision of faculty may give insight into the most typical physical challenges faced by the elderly who receive care at home. Bringing together public administration and community psychology students with faculty from both programs may focus on evaluatuion of the most effective community treatment programs for individuals who struggle with issues of chemical dependence.