EDPY 401

Models of Consultation
and Collaboration

Learning Objectives
Students will:
apply knowledge of the models of
consultation and collaboration to
chosen case study
practice interpersonal skills

Consultation
Collaboration
Communication

Differences
Consultation consultant provides
specialized expertise to the consultee,
who then delivers the direct service
Collaboration way of working in
which power struggles and ineffective
politeness are seen as not helpful to
team process

Dr. Debra Russell

Question for consideration?

What factors influence educators to become
collaborative, collegial professionals rather than
teachers in more isolated and autonomous roles?

Teacher Autonomy in the

Past
Worked alone in classrooms
May or may not have supported each
other and welcomed new teachers
One teacher responsible for all
Changing demographics, complex
learners placing greater demands on
teachers
Working together is now the
expectation rather than the exception
Dr. Debra Russell

The Alberta Context

Schools and community partners throughout the province of Alberta
recognize the importance of collaborative practices in order to best
support the success of children, youth, and their families.
AlbertasApproach to Collaborative Practices is based on eleven
wraparound principles.
Collaboration is not just about working together, but about blending
perspectives, expertise, and resources, as well as sharing
accountability and responsibility.
Collaboration is a process through which we can go well beyond our
own vision of what is possible, and for which we can take action to
improve the success of children, youth and their families.

A partner resource:
http://towardcollaborativepractice.ca/

Defining Collaboration
Means more than working
together.
Occurs both formally and
informally.
Is not a synonym for other terms
such as teaming, consultation, or
inclusion.
Cannot exist in isolation.

Role Responsibilities in
Collaborative Endeavors
Questions to ask yourself:
Who am I in this role?
How do I carry out the
responsibilities of this role?
How will I know whether I am
succeeding?
How can I prepare for the role?
Who can I go to for support?
Dr. Debra Russell

Key Elements in Successful

Collaboration
Preparation
for the roles
Delineation
of roles
Framework
for
structuring
the roles
Evaluation of
outcomes

Preparatio
n

Commitme
nt &
acceptanc
e

Dr. Debra Russell

Evaluation
assessmen
t

Role
expectatio
ns and
Parity

Framework

Structure,
resources,
manageme
nt

Tips for Working Together

Value consultation and collaboration as tools

Do not wait, create opportunities
Carry your load (including social functions)
Seek informal opportunities
Ask for help, leave your door open literally &
figuratively for future partnerships
Appreciate perceptions and preferences
Find ways to acknowledge and use
suggestions from others
Dr. Debra Russell

Characteristics of Consultation
Triadic and indirect relationship
Voluntary nature
Expert and directional relationship
Problem-solving process with steps
or stages
Shared but differentiated
responsibilities and accountability
Rationale for, and benefits of,
consultation widely accepted in
inclusive education

Consultation Models

Behavioral

Clinical

Mental
Health

Organizati
onal

Behavioral Consultation
Concept of naturalistic setting
Most frequently used type of
consultation in school
Why so popular?

Both consultant and consultee must

have a thorough understanding of
behavioral principles and practices.
Rewards /consequences
Data driven

Clinical Consultation
The consultant is concerned with
accurately identifying a clients
problem and prescribing strategies for
resolving it.
Interventions are aimed at the client,
as the consultants first consideration
is that the source of the problem is the
client (not the consultee)
How is this different from the
behavioral model?

Mental Health
Consultation
Mental health consultants weigh in
all the factors when working to
resolve the problem presented by the
consultee:
Client

Consulte
es
reaction
to client

Structure
of
program

Program
s admin

Mental Health Consultation

(cont)
Requires considerable expertise to
implement.

Organizational
Consultation
Alternative Models of Consultation
Organizational
Education and training

A systems model
Entire work environment
Goal?

Communication
Focus Questions:
What are the key components of the
communication process?
How does one establish rapport in
order to facilitate effective
communication?

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Communication
Bottom line any cooperative and collaborative
processes require effective and cooperative
communication

Involves:
Co-construction of meaning
Talking
Listening
Managing interpersonal conflict
Addressing concerns together
Components of successful communication include
understanding, trust, autonomy and flexibility
Good communication facilitates problem solving and
conflict resolution
Ineffective communication breeds misunderstanding and
distrust

Effective communication is the foundation for 20

collaboration in
schools

Communication for Effective

School Relationships
While technology has changed
communication the last decade, faceto-face interaction is still the standard
for most collaboration
People spend 70% of their waking
moments communicating
Lack of communication is cited as a
major reason for work related failure
The most delicate process in
consulting is communication that
minimizes conflict and maintains
self21
esteem (Gersten, Darch et. al. 1991)

Types of Communication
Communication can be broadly
classified as verbal communication
and non-verbal communication.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is further divided into oral

and written communication.
Oral communication refers to the spoken words in the
communication process. Oral communication can either
be face-to-face communication or a conversation over the
phone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken
conversations or dialogs are influenced by tone of voice,
volume, and the speed and clarity of speaking.
The effectiveness of written communication depends on
the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar, clarity,
and precision of language

Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal

communication includes
the overall body language of the person who is
speaking, including:

body posture
hand gestures
overall body movements
facial expressions (say a lot about mood)

gestures like a handshake, a smile or a hug

pictorial representations, signboards,

photographs, sketches and paintings.

Skills for Communicating:

5 Major Skill Sets

Rapport Building
Responsive Listening
Assertion Skills
Conflict Management
Collaborative Problem Solving

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Responsive Listening
Technique

S.O.L.E.R.
Five steps to attentive listening
Squarelyface the person
Openyour posture
Leantowards the sender
Eyecontact maintained
Relaxwhile attending
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Some useful paraphrases

It sounds as if
Is what you mean?
You appear to be very frustrated
about
It seems to me that you are saying
Let me see if I understand
Remember to be as accurate and as
brief as possible

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