School-based consultation and collaboration has been used since the 1920s in various forms to address the mental health and instructional needs of students. The practice has grown in importance due to legal and educational reforms that have increased focus on students' well-being. Consultants provide services through collaborating with school administrators, teachers, parents, and external agencies to establish interventions and determine support for students struggling academically or behaviorally. The relationships formed must maintain high ethical standards of confidentiality and consent.

1. HISTORY WHY IS SCHOOL-BASED
School-Based
• Dating back to the 1920’s school- CONSULTATION AND
based consultation and collaboration COLLABORATION NEEDED? Consultation and
has been in use, although not always • Increasing concern over the
by the same terms. During the
Collaboration
mental health and instruction
1950’s the term “consultation” needs of students has resulted
began to be used to describe the from revisions to IDEA, school
consultants work. violence, NCLB, and reform and Created by:
• School-based workers delivered restructuring of school systems.
direct services which made it • This increasing concern and Angela Young
difficult (if not impossible) to reach interest has led to
all students in a school. psychologists, counselors, and
• In 1966 consulting became an
Aimee Hochstein
community mental health
official role of the school counselor. workers providing consultation
• Today the demand for school-based and collaboration within the Nicole Joy
consultation continues to grow and the schools.
services are provided by all school-
based consultants.
ETHICAL ISSUES
MULTI-CULTURAL
• High emphasis on confidentiality
CONSIDERATIONS and consent.
- Due to the changes in demographics • Other ethical issues of high
within the schools, the delivery of importance include: respecting the
consultation and collaboration has consultant/client relationship,
been changing. respecting the integrity of the
- An approach that takes into client, using the proper diagnosis
consideration cultural issues and and assessment strategies,
their impact on the process of keeping adequate records, making
consultation is called multicultural appropriate statements, etc.
school consultation. • Issues will be kept in the highest
- Modifications to consultation will confidentiality and only discussed
often vary by culture. with persons related to the topic MAKING SCHOOL-BASED
- Consultants must take into account and only with consent. REALTIONSHIPS WORK!
both individual differences and .
cultural issues.

2. COLLABORATING WITH CONSULTING AND CONSULTING WITH
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS COLLABORATING WITH PARENTS
TEACHERS
There are a variety of ways a consultant can Working with parents is of the upmost
collaborate with school administrators: importance for school-based consultants.
• Work with both academically and
behavioral challenged students. There are a variety of ways in which
1. Meet with principles to discuss consultation can be provided to parents.
particular children or issues that • Help establish interventions for
• Parent Case Consultation
have come up recently. children. o May be used when parents seek
• Assist in determination of special out consultation for reasons such
o Issues may include education services and behavioral as concerns over their child’s
school violence, academic, emotional, or social
concerns.
substance abuse, behavior.
professional • Give guidance and improve teacher
o The common forms of parent
development, etc. education on topics of concern.
consultation include Adlerian,
behavioral, and mental health.
2. School consultants may be INTERAGENCY • Parent Education and Training
asked to consult with external COLLABORATION o Variety of possible goals such
services consultants. as improving communication,
developing parenting skills, and
3. Meet with administrators to • School-based consultants work with knowledge of child
incorporate primary prevention many different agencies such as development.
programs in the school setting. social services, mental health centers, o There are three popular types
and evaluation center. of parent education groups
• The goal of interagency collaboration used:
Organization development is to share responsibility of a case and
1. Parent effectiveness
A type of consultation that school-consultants shift focus from the school to the
training
may use is organization development. This community.
2. Adlerian approaches
theory looks at the “human” side of the school. In • A team facilitator is selected to ensure 3. Behavioral approaches
other words, consultants work with administrators each team member is doing what
to develop programs such as a team to enhance needs to be done.
a school’s climate. Consultants also work to get o School counselors or
parent volunteers and team-teaching programs psychologists are typically
going in the school. selected as facilitator.
• Teams will meet frequently to discuss
development and concern areas for a
case.