Collaboration in the context of COVID- 19 : The views of practitioners regarding obstacles encountered while working with criminalized individuals

This article examines the responses of 81 Quebec practitioners working with criminalized individuals aged 16 to 35 who were surveyed about the challenges posed by the pandemic crisis in terms of intra- and inter- organizational collaboration. These practitioners, affiliated to various public and community agencies, completed, between November 2020 and June 2021, a questionnaire regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their ability to work in collaboration with other practitioners. The findings of this study show that the crisis has had particularly powerful effects on the organizational dimension of collaboration, and even more so on the interactional dimension of collaboration. More specifically, the findings indicate how human relationships constitute an essential aspect of collaborative practices, regarding both collaboration among practitioners and collaboration with clients. In conclusion, this article provides an opportunity to reflect on the conditions essential for collaborative work between practitioners, as well as on the expectations one should have with regard to the integration of services and the support of criminalized individuals.