COOPERATION IS DEFINED BY THE AUTHOR AS THE EXCHANGE AND COORDINATION OF RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT A CLIENT IN A POTENTIALLY OR ACTUALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, IN ORDER TO DECIDE UPON AN APPROPRIATE COURSE OF ACTION. THIS DEFINITION RAISES QUESTIONS OF WHAT A DANGEROUS SITUATION IS, WHAT INFORMATION IS RELEVANT, AND WHO MAKES THE DECISION. TOO OFTEN IT IS MADE BY INEXPERIENCED, UNTRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS. ADEQUATE TRAINING AND POSTRAINING SUPERVISION ARE SEEN AS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPER DECISIONS ARE MADE. COLLABORATION AMONG CONCERNED AGENCIES SERVES THREE MAJOR PURPOSES: (1) IT IS USEFUL FOR WIDENING ONE'S INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEMS; (2) COLLABORATIVE EFFORT IS PART OF THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM OF SOCIETY; AND (3) IT IS A MEANS OF DETERMINING WHEN ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN AND BRINGING THE TOTAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO BEAR UPON THE PROBLEM. FACTORS WHICH CAN LEAD UP TO INADEQUATE COLLABORATION INCLUDE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUNCTION OF OTHER AGENCIES; PRESSURE OF ONE'S OWN WORK; THE PROTECTION OF STATUS; CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE INFORMATION HELD BY ONE AGENCY; RIGIDITY OF FORMAL STRUCTURES; DIFFERENCES IN GOALS BETWEEN AGENCIES OR EVEN BETWEEN WORKERS IN THE SAME AGENCY; AND WORKERS' OWN ETHICS AND FEELINGS. CONCLUSIONS WHICH ARE DRAWN FROM A DISCUSSION OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE THAT: (1) IT MUST BE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE ARE ETHICAL AND POLITICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WORKERS AND AGENCIES, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE ASSUMED THAT ALL HAVE THE SAME GOALS; (2) STATUS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THOSE INVOLVED CAN BE LARGELY ARTIFICIAL AND MAY LEAD TO THE DISMISSAL OF A VALID VIEWPOINT; (3) LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE CAN ONLY BE COUNTERED BY ADEQUATE TRAINING AND SUPERVISION; (4) THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO REEXAMINE ITS TENDENCY TO PASS POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT LEGISLATION REQUIRING ALREADY OVERLOADED AGENCIES TO DO EVEN MORE WORK WHEN RESOURCES ARE ACTUALLY BEING CUT IN REAL TERMS; AND (5) SOME EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO ACHIEVE STABILITY OF STAFFING IN ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT LIAISON TRADITIONS CAN BE BUILT UP. FINALLY, IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT MOST USEFUL COLLABORATION GOES ON AT AN INFORMAL LEVEL, AND MORE TIME SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR WORKERS TO MAKE INFORMAL CONTACT WITH COLLEAGUES IN OTHER AGENCIES. (VDA)