The COMMUNITY OF SERVICES AND SCHOOLS "COSS" Model
The COSS Model (‘Community of Schools and Services’) is an innovative, early intervention service model for supporting vulnerable young people and their families. Its main goals are to reduce school and educational disengagement such as early school leaving, address family relationship issues which could result in youth leaving the home, and to collaborate to assist youth and families in connecting with appropriate community resources to support youth success into adulthood. (MacZenzie, 2018).
The COSS Model is a place-based, systems approach that utilizes early-intervention strategies to effectively address and support specific, individual needs of at-risk youth and their families (MacZenzie & Hand, 2019). The COSS Model consists of 4 foundations: community collaboration; early identification; the practice framework and early intervention support work with families; and longitudinal monitoring and measurement of outcomes. These foundations comprise a significant reform of the local service system of support available for vulnerable young people and their families. Ultimately, the COSS Model requires a process of community development by local stakeholders to reform the local support system for at-risk youth and families, versus opting to just create a new program (MacZenzie & Hand, 2019).