Models of Consultation

PSY 755
School Consultation Skills
Lee A. Wilkinson, Ph.D.,
NCSP

Mental Health Consultation

The Theory and Practice of Mental Health

Consultation (Caplan, 1970)
Mental Health Consultation and
Collaboration (Caplan & Caplan, 1993)
Consultation viewed as part of ones role
as mental health professional to improve
the mental health of others
Community or preventive approach

Mental Health Consultation

(continued)

Definition:

a process of interaction between two

professional persons the consultant,
who is a specialist, and the consultee,
who invokes the consultants help in
regard to a current work problem with
which he is having some difficulty and
which he has decided is within the
others area of specialized competence
(Caplan & Caplan, 1993)

Mental Health Consultation

(continued)

Key Characteristics:

Nonhierarchical and coordinate relationship

Consultants and consultees viewed as
experts in own areas
Consultant has no authority over consultee
Goal is to improve understanding of current
problem and to increase capacity of
mastering this type of problem in the future
Primary aim is to improve consultees job
performance (does not focus overtly on

personal problems)

Assumptions in Mental
Health Consultation

Psychodynamic orientation
Both intrapsychic and environmental factors
are important in explaining and changing
behavior
Technical expertise of the consultant is not
enough to design effective interventions
The consultee is responsible for action
Consultation is one of many means available
to an organization for addressing difficulties

Assumptions in Mental
Health Consultation
(continued)

Consultee attitudes and beliefs are

important; however, they cannot be
dealt with by direct confrontation.

(Brown et al., 2001)

Four Types of Mental

Health Consultation

Client-centered case consultation

Consultee-centered case consultation
Program-centered administrative
consultation
Consultee-centered administrative
consultation

Consultee-Centered Case
Consultation

Model most often discussed by Caplan

(Caplanian consultation)
Focus is on individual cases
Primary goal is enhanced consultee
performance
Involves no direct assessment of the client
Goal is to determine why consultee is
having difficulty with the client and to
assist with this difficulty

Categories of Consultee
Difficulty

Lack of knowledge
Lack of skill
Lack of confidence
Lack of objectivity (theme interference)

Critique of Caplans Model

Great historical significance foundation

for the development of consultation as a
service delivery approach
Work has been extended and reframed for
application in school settings
Less studied empirically than other
models
Difficult to use when one doesnt have
psychodynamic perspective

Organizational
Consultation

Engages members of an organization in a

process designed to address a presenting
problem or improve the functioning of the
organization
Healthy organizations are more likely to
provide healthy educational and
psychological experiences for children
and teachers
Process is as important as content

Components of Successful
Organizational Consultation
(Gutkin & Curtis, 1999)

Mutual adaptation - the extent to which

innovations/change projects FIT into the local
ecologies of communities, schools, classrooms
predicts successful implementation
Relevant system administrators should be
involved; support from administrators should be
elicited
All primary stakeholders must be involved in the
change process
Empirical support for a collaborative problemsolving model for organizational change

Model of Collaborative
Planning
(Curtis & Stollar, 1996, 2002)

1. Describe the problem as specifically as

possible.
Described desired outcomes.
2. Analyze the specific problem in terms of
resources and obstacles.
3. Select an obstacle that would
significantly hinder resolving the problem
identified in step one.
4. Brainstorm resources and activities that
may be used to reduce or eliminate the
specified obstacle.

Model of Collaborative
Planning
(Continued)

5. Design a plan that includes

accountability for
completion (who,
what, when)
6. Establish a procedure for follow-up
and
review.

Behavioral Consultation
Characterized by:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Use of a four-stage problem solving process

operationalized by three separate
interviews
Adherence to behavioral assessment
techniques
Reliance on behavioral intervention
strategies
Evaluation of outcomes based on behavioral
analysis and related methodologies

Behavioral Consultation
(Bergan, 1977; Bergan &
Kratochwill, 1990)

Four stages:
Problem Identification (PII)
Problem Analysis (PAI)
Treatment (plan) Implementation
Treatment (plan) Evaluation (TEI)

Stage 1: Problem
Identification

Objectives:

Most critical stage of consultation

Consultant defines the presenting (target)
problem in operational terms with the
help of the consultant
Assessment data/baseline data are collected
which assess relevant aspects of the target
behavior

Stage 2: Problem Analysis

Objectives:
Presenting problem is validated and
variables which may facilitate problem
resolution are identified
Determine the conditions that maintain
the clients problem behavior
Consultant works collaboratively with
consultee to devise an intervention plan
that is acceptable to both parties
(treatment acceptability)

Stage 3: Treatment (Plan)

Implementation

Consultee implements the specified plan

and continues to collect data to document
the plans effectiveness
Treatment integrity is monitored and
assessed at this stage

Stage 4: Treatment (Plan)

Evaluation

Objectives:
Determination is made about the plans
effectiveness in resolving the stated
problem(s)
If necessary, the plan is modified and
more data is collected
If goals have been met, consultation is
terminated
Follow-up consultation activities initiated