FTCE Guidance and Counseling PK-12: Basics of Consultation, Collaboration, and Coordination

Collaboration with Teachers and School Personnel

An effective counseling group relies on the support, endorsement, and collaboration of parents, teachers, and school counselors.
It is important that these individuals and administrative groups understand and support the importance and goals of the counseling group. Counselors can help sensitize parents and school personnel to the importance of counseling groups. One of the common concerns is that counseling groups require students to spend time that could otherwise be spent in the classroom. It is important to stress to parents and school personnel that the time students spend in the classroom is generally more effective if students are allowed to address personal, time management, and other issues in counseling sessions. Once counselors have established this understanding with parents and school personnel, they can unite in a partnership for the students' benefit.

Introducing School Personnel and Parent Groups to Need for Counseling Groups
It is important for individuals advocating the creation of counseling groups to emphasize first the comprehensive nature of a counseling program within the school setting, pointing out that an effective counseling program works collaboratively with parents and school groups. It should also be stressed that counseling groups address personal issues that can hinder academic performance. A counseling program should include vehicles for input from school personnel and parents. It might be advisable to hold meetings in tandem with PTA or other parent groups, providing a forum for open communication about the need for and implementation of a counseling program. It is recommended that these presentations be held early in the academic year, to allow for discussion and consensus. It is also important for these meetings to be facilitated by professional counselors who can appropriately address questions and concerns.

Vehicles and Media for Communicating Development of Counseling Programs
Regular communication with parents and school personnel provides continued interface regarding future and existing counseling groups. Some of the channels for keeping this communication open include:

1. Regular, informative meetings with school counselors discussing current counseling groups, future plans, and any peripheral activities
2. Distribution of surveys assessing specific needs for groups, or for topics to be addressed
3. Sharing information about groups needed as well as groups being formed, as appropriate, with parents and school personnel
4. Being available on a regular basis to hear from school personnel regarding student issues or concerns that may precipitate the need for a counseling group
5. Speaking with students in their classrooms about the availability of counseling groups, and providing a clear and confidential process by which they can bring concerns forward
6. Developing and communicating clear procedures for group formation, group participation, and parental and school permission

Communicative Methods for Determining Topics to Address in Counseling
The choice of topics for counseling groups should be representative of the needs of the school community and/or student body. Many topics will arise out of regular meetings between counselors and the school staff, or from meetings with parents. Others may be revealed in the surveys that are distributed to parents, students, and school staff. Students can also be a source of potential topics, particularly if they are provided with a clear and confidential protocol for bringing these concerns forward. Counselors can be proactive in the process of choosing topics: they can ask groups to suggest topics, or they can choose from a series of topics that might be of interest. Once the counselor has established him/herself as a responsive conduit for topic suggestions, there should be a body of recommendations available from which to determine best topics to be addressed in counseling groups.

Topic Determination Arising from School Records, Research, or Other Documentation
School records are another resource for assessing the need for counseling groups and for generating topics. These records contain profiles that may reveal patterns of low retention, poor attendance, low test scores, or other identifiable areas of need. Counselors can also research the commonalities of specific age groups to determine which topics would be appropriate and well received. These topics can range from healthy social behavior to career planning. Some of these general areas can be addressed through a specific focus on life experiences, such as beginning a college prep program in high school. It is important that development of groups and group topics be well researched not only to discover common topics for a particular age group, but to determine the applicability of these topics to the particular student body, as documented by school records and the input of school personnel.

Follow-Up Meetings

Importance
Even when counselors have met with students for a number of sessions and feel that learning objectives have been met, it is nonetheless a good idea to schedule follow-up meetings with the students. It is important to realize that students may have effectively mastered particular objectives within the insulated environment of the facilitated classroom sessions, but that they may be inclined to revert to prior behaviors once they are in their familiar milieu. Follow-up sessions can serve as reminders to students of their progress in the classroom, as well as of strategies that were successful for them. They can also give students an additional opportunity to assimilate the lessons and imprint them in their everyday lives. Counselors can use some discretion in determining the best timing for scheduling follow-up meetings, but they generally occur within days or weeks of the final session in the sequence.
Follow-up meetings with students who have completed a sequence of counseling lessons are beneficial to the counselor, as well as to the students and the overall success of the program. Counselors who meet with students shortly after the final session in a sequence can continue to assess the effectiveness of the strategies employed. As with intra-lesson assessment, follow-up assessment may identify particular areas that need to be targeted more or in a different way in future sessions. Additionally, and more importantly, follow-up sessions can provide counselors with the opportunity to reinforce the lessons and strategies employed in the sequence of sessions. This benefits the students and the program exponentially, in that it decreases the chances of repeated negative behaviors, and mitigates the need for redundant sessions targeting objectives that had been previously met. All of this contributes to the overall effectiveness of the program.

Collaborating with Parents and School Staff
Because the average student to counselor ratio can range from 100:1 to 300:1, the accessibility of counselors is sometimes well below optimum. The moderate needs of many students can be eclipsed by attention paid to the more severe needs of a few. Therefore, it is advisable for counselors to consult with parents and school personnel in the design of effective prevention and intervention programs. Parents and school personnel experience day-to-day contact with students, and are able to observe them in the classroom and home environments. The combined student contact that parents, teachers, and school counselors have can provide valuable feedback to counselors for designing programs and intervention strategies that will benefit the most students most effectively, augmented by individual sessions as indicated. Counselors who meet with the larger school community are able to maximize the efficacy of the school counseling program.

Triadic-Dependent Consultation Model
The triadic-dependent consultation model is essentially a partnership formed between the counselor, parents, and/or school staff to provide indirect services to a student. It is a problem-solving solution for some students and situations in which strategies implemented at home or in the classroom can augment strategies implemented in the counseling sessions. In this model, the counselor works directly with the student, but augments that work by consulting with parents, schoolteachers, and school counselors. Those third parties are identified as the consultees, and the counselor as consultant can provide information and advice toward the goal of improving relations with the student. The triadic-dependent consultation model does not exist for the benefit of the student, but rather so that the parents and/or school personnel can develop strategies to improve the student's academic or personal situation.

Conducting a Consultation
In the triadic-dependent consultation model, counselors initially meet with family and/or school personnel to discuss the student's problems and goals, within confidentiality guidelines. In these meetings, counselors can obtain additional information about the student that will help in the individual sessions. Since many student problems can affect and/or be exacerbated by their social and family network, this model can address the interrelations of various dynamics in the student's life. Counselors may also want to include other members of the student's network, such as peers or other family members, as appropriate, in the process of developing a more comprehensive profile of the student. After assessing the student more comprehensively, counselors can then recommend particular prevention or intervention strategies to the family and/or school personnel. Counselors may recommend interventions focusing on changes for the student, consultee, and/or the school system.

Behavioral Consultation
Counselors can apply the principles of behaviorism to a triadic-dependent consultation format very successfully. Using these principles, counselors can meet with parents and school personnel to identify and define the student's problems as well as any peripheral circumstances that could be contributing. Once the counselor has developed a comprehensive profile of the student's problems in the context of surrounding circumstances, he or she can the create strategies for changing the student's behavior, and possibly the consultee's behavior or actions. Counselors can also work to modify the social context of the interrelationship between the student and the consultee. Possible therapeutic strategies include behavioral contracting, positive reinforcement, and response cost. The behavioral consultation model can be represented by the following four areas of focus:
Initial assessment:  Identify problems and contributing circumstances.
Analysis:  Develop a comprehensive profile of student needs.
Implementation:  Develop and implement behavior modification strategies.
Evaluation:  Evaluate the efficacy of strategies and revise as appropriate.

Parameters for Counselors Meeting with Consultees
Counselors meeting with parents and school personnel should strive to make the environment and the dynamics comfortable yet professional. This is particularly important when meeting with parents. Initially, counselors can restate the purpose of the consultation, identify the student, and define the issues of concern. Initial interaction can serve to ease any anxieties and to establish a professional, comfortable dynamic. The student's behavior should be the focus of the meeting, and counselors should redirect the conversation within those boundaries if needed. Nonetheless, consultees should be given the opportunity to give input, as with any therapeutic group. Counselors should probe for any relevant conditions that would affect the treatment planning, and should glean any additional information about the student from classroom observations. Counselors may also want to provide reference materials to the consultees to offer a better understanding of the issues and behaviors involved. All consultant/consultee interactions should be in writing, and follow-up actions should be scheduled during the initial consultation.

Collaborative-Dependent Consultation Model
The collaborative-dependent consultation model is also a partnership, but one in which the counselor/consultant may play more of a role as participant rather than as facilitator. The counselor is expected to contribute to problem-solving expertise, but is not the sole expert. The consultee in this model may have a more in-depth knowledge of the student or the system on which the consultation is focused. In this model, the consultant and the consultee can be educated on both the problem-solving process for the student and the response of the student. Both consultant and consultee may have working knowledge of normal and abnormal student development. The consultee may be able to contribute knowledge about the efficacy of previous interventions, and/or the impact of peripheral factors. In the collaborative/dependent consultation model, the partners collaborate to develop an intervention plan, with the counselor defining the problem and completing any evaluation and follow-up services while the consultee is implementing the intervention plan.

Application for Organizational Systems
When the collaborative-dependent model is applied to an organizational system, the focus can be on the student, the consultee, or the initiation of change within the system. Family dynamics, or a family system, can also be included in this paradigm. In the system application of the collaborative-dependent model, the counselor participates as process consultant to address problem-solving within the context of the system. He or she can contribute his or her expertise on the assessment and interventions that are related to system change. This application should address the following six variables:

1. Communication patterns within the group
2. Roles and functions of the various group members
3. Processes and procedures involved in group decision-making or problem-solving
4. Normal group performance and expected growth
5. Leadership and authority within the group
6. Intra-group cooperation and competition

Collaborative-Interdependent Consultation Model
The collaborative-interdependent consultation model is one that is more complex and comprehensive, and is most appropriate for addressing the multiplicity of issues related to at-risk youth. In this model, the partnership may be comprised of family, counselor, students, school personnel, and community members, and all may act as equal partners. This model is a collaborative, dynamic one in which the combined input and efforts of the members enable the group as a whole to develop and implement a comprehensive plan. The counselor is not expected to be the sole expert or the central source of information. The onus does not lie on the counselor to develop and implement a plan. The collaboratively developed plan may include change for an individual student, additional knowledge and skills for the team, and/or a change to the system.

Possible Difficulties
There can be inherent difficulties in the collaborative-interdependent model, relating to the fact that its members are included in the partnership because of their knowledge or perspective of the issue at hand, and not necessarily because they are good collaborators. The collaborative-interdependent partnership can be comprised of parents, school counselors, community members, and others, each of whom may have a different strategy to address the student issues. This can be particularly problematic if the members are each implementing a portion of the solution strategy, and not working together to do so. The ability to work effectively presupposes the ability to work collaboratively. Collaboration should be present at all levels of interaction:  identifying the problem, determining the necessary goals, creating strategies, implementing procedures, and evaluating outcomes.

Distinguishing Features of Collaborative Style of Consultation
The collaborative style of consultation is distinguished by five key features:

1. Voluntary participation of members toward resolution of a problem, as opposed to hierarchical direction from a counselor.
2. Shared input for decision-making:  This is opposed to a model in which the outcome is decided before the group convenes, or in which presuppositions color the outcome.
3. Shared responsibility for decision-making:  This implies both the expectation and the privilege of addressing the issue at hand. All parties participate in identifying the problem, developing objectives, implementing strategies, and evaluating outcomes.
4. Shared investment and ownership of the problem and solution for all parties, potentially including family, school, and community:  All parties recognize what needs to be accomplished and contribute their particular expertise.
5. Shared resources:  This implies less ownership, so that the group decides how the resources will be utilized.
6. Counselor's Role in Facilitating Collaborative Consultation

The role of the counselor in the collaborative consultation format is that of both facilitator and role model for the consultation. The distinguishing advantage of the collaborative format is that of shared and interactive input regarding the student. Each person's perspective, expertise, and knowledge of the student and the situation is valuable and contributes to a whole that is often greater than its parts. Counselors can model this format by encouraging input from all the members, and can facilitate the group by maintaining the guidelines that allow for interactive sharing. The counselor's role in the collaborative model is not that of leader, but more of guide and facilitator. Some of the key points to address in collaborative consultation include:

1. Open consideration of other perspectives
2. Willingness to revise one's perspective
3. Integration of others' ideas in intervention
4. Flexibility of counselor to de-emphasize his or her role as leader
5. Guiding the group in a manner that encourages collaboration

Importance of Developing Strategies Within the Context of the Larger School System
Particularly in a school counseling environment, any kind of intervention or therapy must be conceived and delivered within the context of the larger school system and community. The primary purpose behind this is efficacy of treatment. Counselors who are working with at-risk students or students who are facing personal problems will benefit the student and the counseling program by collaborating with school personnel. This may include a collaborative consultation, or may just be a matter of using the available resources. Counselors may also want to serve as liaisons in suggesting student-oriented changes to the school system. Counselors can also adopt a holistic approach to therapy, within the context of the school community. It is important to remember that students have classmates, take course work within a prescribed curriculum, and operate within the mandates of the school system. Therefore, when working with students, counselors should be cognizant of a student's daily routines and environment.

Counselor's Role Within the Context of the Larger School System
It is important for school counselors to remember that they are just one member of the school personnel community. Their role is to provide individual or group therapy to student members of the community who are at risk for self-destructive behaviors, which usually include academic failure. It is the intervention focusing on the dangers of academic failure that serves as the linchpin of the collective goals of the entire school community, including the school counselor. For school counselors to be most valuable to their student clients, it is important for them to remember that serving their students is also serving the greater good of the school community. This greater good includes the safety of the student body, and the academic goals of the school and the district. Those academic goals can be reflected in test scores, retention, and other quantifiable data.

Becoming an Integral Part of the School Community
When becoming a part of a school community, a school counselor can take proactive steps toward developing a collaborative relationship with other members of the community. These steps include:

1. Recognize that the school staff is in a fiduciary role, implementing the academic goals of the school and the district. B. open to the evolution of your role within the school community, as opposed to imposing preconceived ideas about your role on the school staff.
2. Become familiar with the rules and expectations of the school community.
3. Recognize that any operational entity will have both explicit and implicit hierarchies, and become aware of those levels of authority and power.
4. Cultivate alliances and friendships through shared agendas and recognition of individual strengths.
5. Develop effective and collaborative vehicles of communication with members of the school and the larger community.
6. Maintain objectivity when working with any educator or family member.
7. Refrain from provocatively challenging the authority of an educator or community member.

Areas in Which Understanding of Policies and Procedures of the School System is Important
Each school system will have particular nuances and interpretations with respect to issues of confidentiality and parental rights. Counselors should be aware of these policies/procedures when working with students in order to know:

1. When and how to notify parents of student participation in
2. How to respond to a suspicion of child abuse.
3. Issues of confidentiality in the therapeutic environment, e.g., when and how to report severely at-risk behavior, and when and how to recognize and report students who may be at risk of harming others.
4. When and how to open up the counseling strategies to include collaborative consultation.
5. When to involve teachers and other school staff in intervention
6. Understanding the policies and procedures includes not only reading them but also understanding how these policies are implemented in a particular school environment. Maintaining open communication and cultivating relationships with school staff will be beneficial to the counselor in developing an understanding of school policies and procedures.

Spectrum of Policy Interpretation Among Different School Personnel
Although most school policies and procedures are clearly delineated in written form, their interpretation can be less clear-cut, and can even vary between teachers and classrooms. One policy area that can easily vary between educators is that of allowing students to participate in counseling during time normally set aside for classroom instruction. Some teachers may support student counseling, and may be willing to let students leave their classrooms to do so. Others may also be in support of students receiving counseling, but may feel that it should not be done at the expense of classroom time, but rather before or after school. Teachers may also have differing opinions about collaboration with school counselors, particularly about the implementation of behavior modification strategies in the classroom. Counselors should be sensitive to these differences in opinion, and the spectrum of teachers' responses to the need for and implementation of a counseling program.

Deferring to the Explicit Authority of the Principal
The principal of a school administrates the allocation of both monetary and personnel resources. For a school counselor to successfully plan and implement a counseling program at a school, the support and endorsement of the principal is pivotal. In deference to the principal's responsibilities, counselors should keep him or her apprised of the scope of the current counseling program, as well as revisions or plans for future revisions to the program. Not only is this respectful of the principal's agenda; it is also a good way to retain the support and endorsement of the administration. It is also recommended that counselors meet with principals on a regular basis, at the principal's convenience. Counselors should allow sufficient time to apprise the principal of updates and for discussion as appropriate. Principals may also make suggestions and recommendations for the counseling program, which should be taken into account by the counselor.

Recognizing Individuals with Either Explicit or Implicit Influence in the School System
When a counselor recognizes that he or she is just one member of a school community, he or she should also recognize that a community contains both formal and informal power structures. Although it is necessary for a counselor to keep open communication with the principal, that line of communication may depend on the counselor's interactions with the principal's secretary or other assistant counselor. School counselors should also be cognizant of the network of communication and influence that exists within the school system, as it does within most communities. Counselors can cultivate relationships with teachers, parents, other counselors, etc., in order to gain an understanding of underlying concerns and agendas within the larger school agenda. These relationships can also provide a vehicle for counselors to inform the school community of their concerns and plans for an appropriate counseling program to address those concerns. A healthy environment for a school counseling program includes shared agendas and collaboration.

Cultivating Relationships with Influential Individuals in the School Community

Impact
When counselors are able to communicate and collaborate with influential and interested members of the school community regarding the counseling program, there are positive far-reaching effects. By recognizing and incorporating the interplay of agendas and concerns in a school community, counselors are able to gain the respect, endorsement, and contributions of those individuals. When counselors can recognize and utilize the strengths and contributions of individuals working in the school community, the counseling program is able to thrive and grow within the context of the school system. The added benefit is that when the program is working within this context, peripheral individuals and programs will associate the counseling program with the larger agendas of the school community and will more readily accept and endorse the program. As these working relationships evolve, the counselor can develop rich alliances and friendships within the school community to the benefit of all the members.

Concerns

As with any group dynamic, the interplay of agendas and concerns within a school community may be organic and healthy, may be dysfunctional and conflicting, or may be somewhere in between. Although it is not necessarily the counselor's role to analyze the dynamics at play in the school setting, he or she nonetheless needs to be aware of conflicts between individuals and agendas, particularly if individuals or groups are in opposition to the principal's goals and overall agenda. Counselors should exercise some caution when forming alliances to the benefit of the counseling program that may be in opposition to other groups or the overall agenda of the school principal. It would be better to cultivate relationships with a measure of caution, until a counselor understands the overall interplay of agendas within the school community. Counselors can also strive to facilitate cooperation and collaboration between the parties involved.

Working with Members of Subsystems in the School Community
The larger school community is comprised of many subsystems, including but not limited to parents, service staff, librarians, and community groups. Even within the teaching staff, there are subsystems comprised of education specialists, resource teachers, etc. Although not necessarily in conflict with each other, these groups may operate quasi-autonomously and be unaware of their effects on the larger school community. This is best illustrated within the experiences of the students, who interact with and depend on many of these subsystems. Counselors working with students with complex needs may have to involve several subsystems in order to provide effective treatment. It might be beneficial for counselors to form acquaintances with members of the larger school community, in order to better understand the complexities of subsystems in the school and facilitate communication between these entities.

Emotional Objectivity When Introducing or Implementing Counseling Programs
When counselors join a school community, they may encounter resistance to their contributions from certain members of that community. Although the school community as a whole may endorse and support the counseling program and its inclusion in the larger efforts of the school, the resistance of a few may manifest in covert or overt actions that undermine or impede the counseling program. Counselors need to maintain objectivity when facing these kinds of challenges, which should be recognized as symptoms of systemic change. Recognizing this objectively, the counselor can then approach the challenges professionally.
Relying on their knowledge of systems change analysis, counselors can isolate and identify the resistance, and openly approach the individuals or entities involved to find a mutual resolution. It is important to remember that, without this objectivity, counselors can become mired in conflict and programs can be rendered ineffectual.

Initial Stages of Problem Solving on a School Campus
Once a consultant is in the school system, he or she is in a position to initiate problem solving. Regardless of the problem, or the complexity of the problem, the initial stage of problem solving is generally that of identifying the problem to be addressed. This involves collecting the information necessary to comprehensively assess the issue at hand. If the difficulty relates to a student, the information collecting may involve parents, teachers, and/or the student. The problem-solving process can also require other educators or family members to form a collaborative problem-solving team. Problems to be addressed might also be more macrocosmic, involving several students with violent behavior, or possibly system-wide issues affecting the entire school. Once the problem has been comprehensively isolated, counselors should determine the most appropriate consultation model for working toward resolution.

Importance of Process in Problem-Solving Groups
School teams brought together to resolve an issue are often task-oriented, and generally are not focused on process. Without some attention paid to process, the collaborative effect of the team can be diffused and the efficacy of the group diminished. The counselor as consultant can contribute to the group discussion with not only knowledge about a particular issue, but also specific expertise in group dynamics. As facilitator, he or she can encourage the group process necessary to complete the problem-solving task. As with any professional interaction, counselors should remember they are a part of a larger whole and maintain an openness to the strengths of the group and the individual members. If approached well, a successful collaborative process will significantly contribute to the overall success of the task team, as well as establish the counselor as a valuable member of the school community.

Facilitating a Collaborative Group Dynamic
After the counselor as consultant has been assigned a role in the group, he or she may have the opportunity to facilitate collaboration. When working with a problem-solving team, counselors can initiate specific practices and procedures toward a collaborative group dynamic. These practices include:

1. Noting and encouraging behaviors among the group that contribute to collaboration and cooperation.
2. Noting and discouraging competitive remarks and behaviors.
3. Working with the group to establish a collaborative group norm.
4. Creating an open communication policy that allows the input of all participants to the problem-solving process.
5. Recognizing and respecting the expertise and contributions of all members of the group.

These practices can lay the foundation for a collaborative group process. Facilitating a collaborative group dynamic may also occasionally include soliciting the support and endorsement of a school counselor by explaining the value of the collaborative process in a problem-solving group.

Framing the Objectives of Problem Resolution in Group Setting
The counselor as facilitator can work with members of the group to set goals and create a viable action plan.
It is important that the parameters of this action plan fall within the capabilities and contributions of the group members. Individuals in the group should be able to recognize and embrace their role in facilitating change in the students. Specific steps in the process of developing an action plan

1. Identifying the goal and the action plan for achieving it.
2. Determining an appropriate and reasonable measurement of outcome.
3. Empowering group members to act as change agents.
4. Identifying the individual and group strengths appropriate to the action plan.
5. Encouraging flexibility of roles and expanded boundaries as
6. Encouraging collaboration within the group and with other entities as appropriate.
7. Developing a plan to implement and retain the changes.

Identification of Goals and Outcomes
It is important to remember the initial process of problem solving is comprehensive problem identification. This identification should define the scope of the problem, specifically whether it is isolated to a particular student and/or the student's family dynamic, more generalized within a group of students, or dispersed throughout the school system as a whole. Once the problem is identified, the problem-solving team should clearly identify goals for the student or the particular group, as well as anticipated
outcomes. Academic goals for students should fall within the academic parameters and mission of the school. Inherent in the process is the need to develop viable outcome assessment measures, which will be made easier by clearly-stated objectives. When the group can articulate the objectives, as well as the measurements of outcome, they can formulate goals that are reasonable and achievable.

Framing Issues in an Inclusive Manner
When a student's behavior or problem becomes such that intervention is necessary, blame is often laid at the feet of various parties. Parents may blame the school for their child's problems, and schools may hold parents accountable for student behavior. As consultants, counselors can stress that the student's situation should be viewed as a catalyst for change that will involve the student, the school, and the family. Viewed in this way, intervention becomes a collaborative goal rather than an exercise in finding evidence to support blame. Counselors can encourage participants to feel committed to resolution, and to each embrace his or her respective role in its achievement. The strengths of the teachers and family members should be affirmed and used to bring about the desired objectives. Counselors should remind participants that change is a process that will take time and the commitment of those involved in the student's life.

Approaching an Identified Need for Systemic Change
When student intervention necessitates a group effort, it usually correlates with a multiplicity and complexity of issues. Consequently, resolution is usually complex, and may involve many entities. Sometimes, any change anticipated in the student relies at least in part on changes in family dynamics and/or school systems. Counselors should remember that student behaviors indicate a need for change, and should refrain from blatantly identifying any system or individual as a cause for the problems. Rather, counselors should use diplomacy in suggesting changes in family or school dynamics, particularly if the respective parties are operating under the assumption that the student's behavioral problems are not connected to other influences in his or her life. This is a situation in which the trust and alliances gained from members of the school community are particularly valuable. Counselors can work separately with teachers or family members to encourage change as applicable.

Encouraging More Flexible Roles and Broadened Boundaries in Problem-Solving Teams
The optimal consulting group is one in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Practically speaking, each of the participants comes to the task with particular expertise, a specific set of skills, and a paradigm or perspective regarding the problem and the anticipated resolution. Each member sees himself or herself in a predetermined role. Educators generally approach student problems from an academic perspective; psychologists will tend to be most concerned about the student's mental health. However, in a group setting, with good facilitation, the participants can be encouraged to step beyond their prescribed roles and expectations toward a comprehensive intervention strategy that will bring their collective expertise to a cohesive front. In this setting, counselors may ask a teacher to co-lead the group, or a psychologist to facilitate a discussion about academic goals. This shared crossing over can be most beneficial in a consulting group.

How Consultants Can Plan and Strategize for Protecting Change
Counselors understand that any kind of behavioral change is an ongoing process and will often include backsliding or digression.
When facilitating a consulting group, counselors can first remind the group that any intervention strategy needs to include plans for protecting the anticipated change. Knowing this initially will enhance the long-term success of an intervention strategy. Consultants can assist the group in developing a post-plan for this purpose. This post-plan should include a delineation of the responsibilities and benchmarks to be used in evaluating progress. It may also include mechanisms that will allow for ongoing communication among the members, as well as support resources. In a school setting, student progress is generally associated with academic achievement, which can provide a clear marker for determining strategy success. Behavioral changes can also be monitored by noting clearly identifiable actions.

Evaluating Success of Implementation
When an action plan has been developed and implemented, the evaluation process should begin. The action plan should include strategies for evaluation and outcome measurement. It may be appropriate for each member of the consultant group to participate in the evaluation process by monitoring such successes as academic progress and changed behaviors. The evaluation should focus on whether any change has occurred, and to what degree that change can be measured. Participants can develop vehicles for collecting as well as presenting the relevant data. Counselors should provide oversight for this phase of the action plan. They should be attentive to the degree of change, and should determine if it is sufficient to be considered successful. They should also be attentive to any changes that constitute digression or negative change. If this is the case, they might want to assess possible factors, and meet with the group to develop alternate strategies.

Bringing the Ad Hoc Consultation Group to Closure
If the consultant is not a regular member of the school community, closure may be more definitive than if the counselor as consultant is a part of the school staff. In that situation, counselors can maintain communication with the participants and provide confirmation of successful completion. The counselor can also conduct debriefings with the participants to reflect on the process, the degree of success, and the value of collaboration. Counselors can also maintain communication with school counselors and peripheral professionals as a follow-up to a successful intervention. If, on the other hand, the counselor as consultant is a regular member of the school staff, it is important to be attentive to sensitivities that the student might have regarding regular proximity to the participants of the consulting group, including the counselor. In that event, formal follow-up might be less appropriate than if the consultant is regularly away from campus.

Cross-Cultural Consultation
When working with consultees from diverse cultural backgrounds, counselors should refer to their knowledge of cross-cultural counseling in order to facilitate the group with confidence and skill. Multicultural participants in a consulting group will inherently present special considerations regarding diversity of culture:

1. Impact of culture:  how diverse cultural paradigms affect the consultation process
2. Recognition of culture:  understanding the richness of contributions from diversity of culture
3. A counselor should also strive to do the following: B. sensitive to cultural differences when developing rapport within the group. B. aware of cultural factors within the group as well as between the group and the student.
4. Develop appropriate interventions with these cultural considerations in mind, if indicated.
5. Respond objectively to diverse circumstances.
6. Identify and emphasize similarities between the represented cultures, as appropriate.
7. Address balance of power issues.
8. Endorse the success of the student and consultees.

Applying Collaborative Consultation to a Broader Community
It may be the case that a student is already interacting with other professionals or professional groups outside of the school community.
Often this is the case when students present a complexity of issues. In order to approach the student holistically, counselors may want to include these individuals in a consulting group, or as part of the school-based consulting group. Through collaborative consultation, the individual members should endeavor to adopt an integrated approach that will result in shared input and shared responsibility. It is generally recommended that each member's interaction with the student should be suspended or altered in deference to the participant's involvement in the collaborative consultation model. Counselors as consultants should become familiar with the expertise and scope of each professional/group, and should try to involve the parents in the consultation.
Overall, the collaborative consultation model can prove much more effective than if counselors were to meet individually with respective professionals or professional groups.

Including Parents in a Collaborative Consultation Model
Counselors as consultants are in a position to recognize when a student issue could be best addressed by generating dialogue between parents and members of the school community. The initial process should involve bringing the parents together with educators or other school members as appropriate, to discuss and come to an agreed understanding regarding the needs of the student. Through collaboration, parents and school members can recognize that each of their efforts as individual entities would likely not be as effective as the collaborative efforts of the group members, including the parents. Counselors can facilitate the process by helping members to understand each other's roles and prospective contributions. Counselors can guide the group discussions by allowing each of the participants, which may just be a teacher and a parent, to understand their mutual goal of academic success for the student, and to encourage trust in the collaborative process.

Increasing Parental Involvement in Student Academic Achievement
Increased parental involvement and awareness strongly correlates with increased academic success in students. There is also a significant benefit to students who are able to dovetail their school experience with their home experience, such that their parents become more involved in their academic requirements. When parents are able to supplement classroom instruction with additional teaching at home, their children generally perform better and are more engaged at school. Counselors and other members of the school staff can cultivate parental involvement through a number of vehicles. Open-house events and parent-teacher conferences are common modes for increasing parental involvement. Other recommendations are parent resource centers, phone calls, or even visits to the home when appropriate. If the school community as a whole recognizes the value of parental involvement and endeavors to forge a partnership with parents on a regular basis, overall student achievement can be expected to improve.
There are numerous arenas in which counselors can encourage parental involvement in students' academic achievement. Augmenting those events in which parents are invited to visit the campus, counselors can build on this involvement by including parents in planning and decision-making programs as appropriate. Another suggestion is to research the talents and skills of parents, and develop a volunteer pool. Educators and counselors will need to give specific directions for participation, and can diversify the selection of areas in which parents can contribute their time and expertise. Counselors can also acknowledge parental involvement through written newsletters or at school events. Counselors should emphasize the goal they share with parents: namely, the academic success of their students. Counselors can distribute additional academic resources to parents. The school should be portrayed as welcoming to families. Counselors may want to coordinate transportation and baby-sitting for parent visits.

Effective Communication with Parents
Counselors can set a welcoming tone each year, by proactively welcoming parents and encouraging their participation in the academic lives of their children. The following are some effective ways to set this tone:

1. Send a welcome letter at the beginning of the year that includes a calendar of events and invites parents to participate.
2. Provide a resource brochure or informational handout with general school policies and the an explanation of the counselor's role in the students' lives.
3. Distribute informational resources describing the counseling programs, community resources, and pertinent contact information.
4. Regularly send event and meeting calendars, which should include contact information for support resources and counselors.
5. Generate a school newsletter that will give parents and the surrounding community information about school resources and any other material of interest.
6. Schedule new-family meetings right before school starts.