Group consultation: Key variables that effect change.

Discusses 2 hypothesized key variables of the effective consultation process, and presents 7 categories of consultant manipulations designed to promote the facilitation of improved consultee information processing behaviors: (a) focusing attention on alternative aspects of the informational field (theme interference reduction), (b) didactic provision of mental health information, (c) intercommunication of perceptions of options for intervention, (d) modeling alternative behaviors, (e) positive reinforcement of the consultee's engaging in information processing behaviors, (f) promoting a group experience of expressing feelings and attitudes, and (g) relinquishing previous intervention behaviors as the group becomes self-assessing. Four stages in the progress of the consultation alliance are delineated: (1) relationship development stage, (2) working stage, (3) group autonomy stage, and (4) consultee–consultant stage. In conclusion, a piece of a theoretical framework for consultation is developed that should facilitate the design of systematic research. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Face-to-face verbal interaction in school-based consultation: A review of the literature.

Reviews the school-based consultation research pertaining to face-to-face verbal interactions between a consultant and a consultee. Drawing from the counseling and psychotherapy literature, 2 types of research methodologies for studying face-to-face interaction are presented. The 1st type, termed content coding, categorizes the content of both consultant and consultee verbalizations and allows for an examination of the relationship between categories of consultee verbalizations as a function of various categories of consultant verbalizations. The 2nd methodology, relational coding, is more reflective of the relationship between participants and categorizes verbalizations relative to the content and intent of the message of the previous speaker. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultant experience and attributions in school consultation.

Hypothesized that experienced school psychologists would be more flexible than inexperienced school psychologists in their attributions of responsibility for outcome of consultation. Responses from 56 members of a state school psychological association were analyzed for attributions of responsibility for outcome to the consultee, to the consultant, and to other factors. Results fail to support the hypothesis. Regardless of consultation success or failure, Ss attributed responsibility for consultation outcome mostly to the consultee. Experienced psychologists, however, were more likely than inexperienced psychologists to attribute responsibility for outcome to teachers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teachers' expectancies, participation in consultation, and perceptions of consultant helpfulness.

Administered a questionnaire assessing self-efficacy expectations for resolving classroom problems and expectancies so that consultation could assist 55 teachers in 3 elementary schools with same classroom problems. Subsequently, teachers had an opportunity to request consultation from an experienced, doctoral student-consultant. A significant negative relationship was found between teachers' self-efficacy expectancies and their expectancies that consultation would assist them. No significant relationships were found between self-efficacy and use of consultation or consultee evaluation of consultation. Teachers' initial outcome expectancies for consultation predicted teachers' subsequent evaluations of the consultant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anatomy of an executive consultation: Three perspectives.

A case of psychological consultation involving an executive and his direct supervisor is presented from the perspectives of the consultant, the consultee, and the president of the company who made the request for services. The presenting situation, consulting process, and results of the consultation are reviewed. Lessons learned by all participants are reported. Overarching issues and strategies relevant to the delivery of consulting services in the executive suite are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of consultee characteristics on preferences for consultation approaches.

56 classroom teachers completed Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale and rated their preferences for 4 models of consultation: medical, collaborative, expert, and mental health consultation—consultee centered. The collaborative model was rated highest and the medical model was rated 2nd highest, and these preferences remained even after controlling for years of teaching experience and locus of control. However, externals rated the expert model higher than did internals. Issues regarding the role that consultee preferences should play within the consultation process are discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher reactions to behavioral consultation: An analysis of language and involvement.

Explored 2 dimensions of behavioral consultation that can potentially influence teachers' reactions to the consultation process. Two independent variables (consultee involvement and consultant language) were completely crossed to create 4 videotape scenarios differing only with respect to the manipulated variables. 60 elementary school teachers were randomly assigned to view and rate 1 of the 4 scenarios on a measure of acceptability. Ss reported high ratings for technical language when the psychologist took a directive role and did not involve the teacher in the problem-solving process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavior consultation: A five-year evaluation of consultant and client outcomes.

Examined the effects of training in behavioral consultation (BEC) on school psychology graduate students and on client outcomes. 169 children (aged 3–11 yrs), 29 teachers/consultees, and 26 consultants participated. The consultants were comprised of 4 groups of graduate students and 1 no-training undergraduate control group. The procedure involved 3 phases of assessment: pre-training, competency-based training, and post-training. Training focused on the principles and mastery of applied behavioral therapy and BEC, relationship skills, and systems entry issues. The dependent variables included indices of mastery of the BEC process, knowledge and attitude toward behavior modification (BEM), consumer satisfaction, and treatment outcome. Each consultant achieved a predetermined minimum criterion of 80% of BEC interview objectives. Training resulted in large increases of BEM and no changes in attitude toward BEM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of direct training and treatment integrity on treatment outcomes in school consultation.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 17(2) of School Psychology Quarterly (see record 2008-04568-001). The current study attempts to expand the empirical consultation research base by examining the effects of direct and indirect consultee training methods on treatment integrity and treatment outcomes. A multiple baseline design across consultation dyads was used to investigate the influence of these variables. The results suggest that direct consultee training led to higher treatment integrity. In addition, results for 3 of 4 consultation cases support the hypothesis that treatments implemented with high integrity lead to successful outcomes.] The current study attempts to expand the empirical consultation research base by examining the effects of direct and indirect consultee training methods on treatment integrity and treatment outcomes. A multiple baseline design across consultation dyads was used to investigate the influence of these variables. The results suggest that direct consultee training led to higher treatment integrity. In addition, results for 3 of 4 consultation cases support the hypothesis that treatments implemented with high integrity lead to successful outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of race and consultant verbal behavior on perceptions of consultant competence and multicultural sensitivity.

Sought to determine the influence of race and consultant verbal behavior on perceptions of consultants' competence and multicultural sensitivity. In this analog study, 154 female preservice teachers viewed a videotape of a problem definition interview in which the race of the consultee (African American or Caucasian), race of the consultant (African American or Caucasian), and verbal behavior of the consultant (race-sensitive or race-blind) were completely crossed. The participating preservice teachers (African American and Caucasian) rated the consultants on measures of competence and multicultural sensitivity. A 2?×?2?×?2?×?2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and subsequent univariate follow-up tests revealed a main effect for consultant behavior, favoring race-sensitive vs race-blind verbalizations for both dependent variables. Significant interactions were also found for each dependent variable for participant race?×?consultant behavior and consultant race?×?consultant behavior. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed, and implications for practice and future research directions are identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultant effectiveness and treatment acceptability: An examination of consultee requests and consultant responses.

There has emerged a very strong supposition in the literature and in practice that consultation be a collaborative venture between coequal professionals. Although a collaborative approach has been generally assumed beneficial, an emerging body of research is calling this into question. This study was designed to elucidate the collaborative process. Teachers were exposed to the manipulation of two independent variables: type of Teacher Request and type of Consultant Response. Teachers viewed videotaped scenarios in which a consultee presented a consultant with one of two types of requests for help: (a) a specific request for assistance or (b) a vague request for process clarification. Teachers in videotapes received one of three types of responses from consultants: (a) specific expert advice, (b) a problem-solving process, or (c) a request for the teacher to collect baseline information. Analyses of group differences were performed yielding a main effect for type of Teacher Request and a main effect for type of Consultant Response. A significant interaction was yielded with the deletion of the attention control Consultant Response groups. Results were interpreted as related to the collaborative consultation literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A critical re-evaluation of five fundamental assumptions underlying behavioral consultation.

Behavior consultation (BC) is a scientific model based on assumptions regarding controlling variables in a triadic behavior change process involving a consultant, consultee, and a client. The article critically examines 5 fundamental assumptions underlying BC, noting contradictory evidence, and considers the possibility that these assumptions are incorrect. The tremendous stability of BC over approximately 20 yrs is examined as well as the role these assumptions have played in limiting the evolution of behavioral approaches to consultation in schools. If BC was logically deficient, it is unlikely that it would have survived for approximately 19 yrs. Rather than any conspicuous logical inadequacy, it is possible that BC's formalization may have created a degree of orthodoxy that has stifled BC's continued evolution. BC may have come to be regarded more like a crystal, elegant and rigid, than a scientific model, evolving and subject to revision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultants' perceptions of causality for success and failure of consultation.

Investigated the causal attribution made by consultants with regard to successful and unsuccessful consultation experiences. 164 school psychologists (mean age 32.1 yrs) were asked to consider their consultation experiences with teachers, select the most and least successful cases they could remember, and then state why they felt each case succeeded or failed. Consultants attributed both success and failure experiences more to characteristics of the consultee than to any other cause, with consultee characteristics considered a greater contributing factor to the failure rather than the success experiences. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher perceptions of consultation services provided by school psychologists.

Investigated the following questions: Do teachers prefer consultation or traditional testing services? Do teachers view the consultee role as one that is appropriate for their profession? Do consultation interactions result in increased professional skills for the consultee? 12 schools from a wide range of communities were provided with school psychology consultants for 14 wks. At the end of this time, teacher attitudes concerning the consultation process were assessed. Data analyses revealed that the 173 teachers reacted positively to the consultation services, placed a high priority on working along with school psychology consultants, and believed that their professional skills would improve as a function of consultation interactions. None of the results differed between schools as a function of gross demographic characteristics. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantifying the effects of community mental health consultation interventions.

A review of 1,643 consultation outcomes through meta-analytic studies reveals a moderate overall mean effect for consultation interventions. Utility formulas demonstrate these consultation interventions will provide an 11% improvement in outcome measures of consultee and organizational functioning. While the empirical evidence of the efficacy of consultation interventions is very substantial, the acceleration of the rate of change and the increasing complexity of organizational functioning require continuous reconsideration of current conceptual models of consultation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of consultants in the provision of psychological services to the university community.

Attempted to justify the provision of psychological services within the university community by consultation. In this context, 4 main issues are discussed. The recommendations of the Kirk Committee concerning the provision of consulting services to the university community are summarized. 5 views of the consultant task and consultant role models are presented. 2 role models for the university consultant, emphasizing the consultant as a facilitator of social integration and/or the consultant as a facilitator of appropriate action toward distressed individuals are recommended. (French summary) (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Utilization of mental health consultation and self-perceptions of intraorganizational importance and influence.

Predicted that self-ratings of importance and influence for each of 17 volunteer workers in a mental health crisis center would be positively correlated to each worker's latency in the use of a mental health consultant. Results support the prediction for self-perceptions of influence and importance, but not for perceptions of the value of consultation in general, actual help derived from a consultant, or the number of hours in voluntary service. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists consult with organizations: Alternative strategies of involvement.

Very little is known about the ways behavioral science consultants work with organizations as client systems. This stems from certain characteristics of the consultants themselves, and a prevailing attitude which encourages the separation of the process of understanding organizations from the process of changing them. This paper examines four types of consultant-client relationships and the underlying assumptions of each: purchase-sale; flow of information; doctor-patient; and process consultation. It then considers five issues these relationships, or strategies of consultant involvement with organizations, raise for the consultation process in general. These include: Who owns the consultant? Who owns the problem? Consultant as model. Ends versus means. Why consultant-client relationships often fail. Process consultation, the most recent evolution in consultant-client relationships, seems to produce the fewest undesirable byproducts and have the least disadvantages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consultation and training with school-based crisis teams.

Schools often bring outside mental health consultants to provide postcrisis counseling after a suicide or another tragedy. This article describes a different role for consultants who specialize in this type of work: training school personnel to provide this valuable service themselves. It is argued that training school-based personnel to provide postcrisis counseling results in greater value to a school system than does direct service provision by an outside consultant. The author's experience as mental health consultant to a large urban/suburban school district's crisis team is used to illustrate various training techniques that can be used and benefits that can be derived from this type of consultation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)