As you begin the process of implementing your mental health strategic plan, and making changes to your mental health consultation services, several factors can contribute to how successful your program is in making these important program changes. In their study of effective mental health consultation programs, Duran and her colleagues (2009) identified two key “catalysts for success” in early childhood mental health consultation: (1) Building staff and family readiness for consultation; and (2) ensuring positive working relationships between and among consultants and the families and staff they work with. Additionally, they point to the importance of reviewing data and information about consultation outcomes, and providing feedback and support to the consultant as a way of ensuring quality. In this module, we will describe the administrator’s role in ensuring that these three foundational elements are working to support effective mental health consultation.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Identify strategies for increasing family and staff readiness for mental health consultation.
• Describe ways to facilitate positive, effective relationships between mental health consultants, staff, and families through the contracting process.
• Understand how to support effective mental health consultation by providing support and oversight to the mental health consultant.