EDPY 401Models of Consultation and

Collaboration

Learning Objectives

Students will: • apply knowledge of the models of

consultation and collaboration to chosen case study

• practice interpersonal skills

CollaborationCommunicationConsultation

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.

• Alberta’s Approach 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.

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

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

Role expectations

and Parity

Framework – Structure, resources,

management

Evaluation - assessment

Commitment & acceptance

Dr. Debra Russell

• Preparation for the roles

• Delineation of roles

• Framework for structuring the roles

• Evaluation of outcomes

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 ClinicalMentalHealth

Organizational

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 client’s problem and prescribing strategies for resolving it.

• Interventions are aimed at the client, as the consultant’s 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:

ClientConsultee’s reaction to client

Structure of program

Program’s admin

Mental Health Consultation (con’t)

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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CommunicationBottom line – any cooperative and collaborative processes require effective and cooperative communication

• Involves:– 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

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}Co-construction of meaning

Effective communication is the foundation for collaboration in schools

Communication for Effective School Relationships

• While technology has changed communication the last decade, face-to-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 self-esteem (Gersten, Darch et. al. 1991)

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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

• Squarely face the person • Open your posture • Lean towards the sender • Eye contact maintained • Relax while 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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