Steve Rockey

CNS 786
Dr. Warden
February 19, 2014

Assignment 1c. (Model Application and Intervention Plan)

(Steves Note: Throughout this Model Application and Intervention Plan, I will fill in the
areas leading up to the Problem Definition/Goal Setting and Strategy Selection stages and then
discuss these stages in depth. These two stages will be my main focus and will be heavily
informed using my specific model of consultation.)
The beginning stages of consultation (Textbook) have been completed. In terms of entry,
Ive been working within the school setting for some time now and have been beckoned by the
Principal to undertake this consultation relationship. Within our assessment phase as informed
by Caplans MHC Model as well as Meyers Model for School Psychological Services (1995),
we have identified our areas in need of improvement. We have concerns about areas such as
childrens behavior and learning, teacher morale, administrator stress, among the other items that
flesh these themes out within assignment 1a. These are all areas that are challenging for us and
seem to be challenging for many other schools as well (Rosenfeld and Humphrey, 2012).
Therefore, in using Meyers Model, let us jump into the Problem Definition/Goal Setting Stage.
As a consultant, I met with a representative from each area of our school; a teacher, an
administrator, a support services staff, and so on. In working with them to understand our
assessment phase and come up with an overall Problem Definition, we have decided upon this:
Our school needs a culture change. Or, in other words, our school is seeing problems in each of
these areas because our school tends towards a negative, non-collaborative, non-supportive way
of going about business. Similar observations have been made across the board: our systems feel
isolated, disconnected, and unsupported by one another. This has, we believe, contributed to low
morale and high stress internally across the board. Outer pressures, from the community, state,
and even federally compound this stress. We have made a decision to go forward with our focus
on culture and implementing more community.
Goal Building
Working on goals is the next step in the process. Meyers Model is key here: weve
decided to shape our goals around his three levels of consultation: Level I (focus on the child),
Level II (focus on the teacher), and Level III (focus on the system). I decided to do this because,
again, we are a system with many moving parts. As a system thats seeking to become more of a
team, we must all have pieces to work on. Much of this will go through teachers, who are some
of the most important agents of change (Gansle and Noell, 2008), yet important steps will be
taken through all other members of the school.
Level I goals/objectives are as follows: children will engage and be a part of community
building activities within the classroom. This will include working in groups, with partners, and
even, when possible, across classes. Also, children will be required to engage within community
building activities outside of regular school curriculum (e.g. peer helper programs, after school
study program, etc.). This will all be done in a developmentally appropriate method, according
to the varying grade levels (Dinkmeyer and Carlson, 2013).
Level II goals and objectives would include: teachers regularly meeting as a grade level
once a week. During this time, they should share needs, concerns, relevant interventions, and
document all pertinent information. Also, another goal/objective would be to implement a
community building recognition of others, mainly through positive reinforcement and sharing of
stories and situations.
Level III goals would be some of the hardest to implement because theyre system wide,
but could also be some of the most rewarding. One of our goals would be to implement a
school-wide community team or school-improvement team where bi-weekly, members from
each area (students too; Student Council Representative, for example) would meet and discuss
areas of work and improvement across the school. Another goal/objective would be for the
schools Social Committee to, once a quarter, implement a fun activity for all parties. An
example of this would be a school picnic held for everyone, including parents.
Final Considerations and Reflection
Considering our overall problem, our goals, and our objectives, we are ready to move
forward in each of our areas. To accomplish each of these goals will take great commitment, but
as a whole, to get people to better work and understand each other would be a big win. As a
beginning consultant, Im aware of the challenges that come with implementing something this
big and wide-spreading. Im also cognizant of conceptualizing our problem but, in the end,
not effectively implementing strategies to solve or at least mitigate it.
Also, one of my other concerns is whether or not I actually came up with a correct
problem or problem statement based on our assessment. This seems to be one of the trickiest
areas to me, along with the fear that, What if this does absolutely nothing? This is my main
fear of consultation: that I wont know what Im doing and wont actually get anything done. I
think improvement in this area come with time, obviously, but also with practice and immersion
in experiences such as this and real world ones that are to come. Your feedback in this area
would be welcome as well.



References
Brown, D., Pryzwansky, W., Schulte, A. (2011). Psychological consultation and collaboration:
Introduction to theory and practice. Boston: Pearson.
Dinkmeyer, Jr., D., Carlson, J. (2006). Consultation: Creating school-based interventions. New
York: Routledge.
Gansle, K. A., & Noell, G. H. (2008). Consulting with teachers regarding academic skills:
Problem solving for basic skills. International Journal Of Behavioral Consultation &
Therapy, 4(2), 199-211.
Meyers, J. (1995). A consultation model for school psychological services: Twenty years
later. Journal Of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 6(1), 73-81.
Rosenfield, S. A., & Humphrey, C. F. (2012). Consulting psychology in education: Challenge
and change. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice And Research, 64(1), 1-7.