Principles And Techniques Of Mental Health Consultation

The raison d'etre of the mental health profession is supposed to be con cerned with helping. Our involvement is with people's problems-the psychological problems that incapacitate and prevent otherwise capable individuals from leading fulfilling and "self-actualized" lives. Perhaps more than most of the specialties and subdisciplines within the broad field, mental health consultation is even more concerned with helping people. Because the focus in consultation is on reaching larger numbers of people, the discipline has an even greater dedication to doing something about troubled lives. The emphasis of most consultations is on improving the quality of life for various groups of people, on making impossible living situations more bearable, and "broadly on assisting people to face the daily challenges in their lives. Mental health consultation is an effective tool for achieving these goals (see Chapter 4). And it is an art-a difficult art that requires not only special skills and special training but special kinds of personalities that can relate well to people of different walks of life, different ethnic back grounds, different religious or political beliefs, and different status or economic position. But, unfortunately, far too many individuals who are engaged in consultation have neither the requisite background nor the special skills to become the kind of artist that is required.

Collaborative Consultation in Mental Health: Guidelines for the New Consultant offers a practical guide for professionals working ‘indirectly’ with clients through consultation with staff. As resources become more scarce in public services and a greater number of people seek mental health interventions, professionals are increasingly called upon to consult with practitioners who conduct face-to-face work with clients. This book provides an essential guide for those who are interested in developing their consultation competence. This book introduces the reader to the principles of a collaborative approach to consultation with practitioners, teams and agencies working in health, education, social care and mental health. The book takes the reader step-by-step through the collaborative consultation process, from preparing and setting up the context for consultation through to communicating effectively to build cooperative partnerships, and evaluating consultation outcomes. Collaborative Consultation in Mental Health guides the consultant in how to apply and develop these principles and practices within group consultation and also addresses common dilemmas and challenges consultants encounter. Collaborative Consultation in Mental Health will appeal to both new and experienced consultants working with adults, children, older people, people with intellectual disabilities and families across a range of contexts.

A valuable book for all who are involved in applications of psychology in community settings! The highly acclaimed authors of this volume provide a comprehensive and systematic presentation of the theory and practice of community mental health consultation and population-oriented psychiatry. The text outlines recent concepts of collaboration through which mental health specialists develop fruitful partnerships with professional colleagues in a number of health, education, welfare, and religious organizations. In addition to presenting a lucid description of the evolution, development, and current status of the Caplans’ pioneering techniques, many of which have become standard practice in the mental health disciplines, the book clearly articulates the fundamental theoretical principles on which these techniques are based.

Drawing on historical writings about mental health consultation and on contemporary research and theory, Jonathan Sandoval lucidly explains the consultee-centered approach to consultation. The book provides an expert foundation on which to build a training program for future school-based consultants. Written for graduate students in school psychology, counseling psychology, special education, and social work, this book is an invaluable resource for mental health professionals working in schools who wish to upgrade their professional skills and grow as reflective practitioners. Individual chapters describe different stages in the consultation process; outline the processes characterized in each stage; detail useful consultant skills; review pertinent research; discuss the ethical principles underlying practice; and suggest self-monitoring questions for student consultants. Featuring a step-by-step developmental model of the consultee-centered consultation process, this book encourages consultants to prioritize those characteristics that contribute to a consultee’s work difficulty, in addition to assessing the client more generally. By detailing this unique approach, this concise volume provides an applicable, contextualized, and strategic form of consultation, and fosters a professional-to-professional relationship distinguishable from supervision, counseling, therapy, coaching or other methods.