Consultation Case Studies

The Case of the Abandoned Storefront Dr. C was contacted by the director of a community social services agency regarding the feasibility of converting an abandoned storefront facility into a counseling outreach service center for chronically mentally ill "street people" and poor clients who live in a nearby housing project. The residents of the housing project are predominantly Latino. They have been promised an array of neighborhood services by various city, state, and community agency officials, but none have materialized. Recently, the persons living on the street have been questioned by law enforcement and relocated to shelters during bad weather. They are worried about losing access to the park in which they reside. The immediate downtown location of the storefront has been identified as a development zone for shops, boutiques, lofts, and other mixed commercial/residential purposes. The owner of the storefront has indicated a willingness to donate the storefront facility to the social service agency. The developer of "Urban Renaissance" has raised questions about the use of the storefront and indicated he would oppose the location of the counseling center in a planning commission meeting.

The agency asked the consultant to design a program for case management and crisis management for both indigent chronically mentally ill, including those served by their agency and the community mental health center, which is located over five miles from the proposed center. According to the director, the agency already provides social services, resources, and transition services for the mostly Spanish speaking population of the housing project. The residents work in low paying construction and food service jobs or receive welfare payments and housing subsidies. Since many of these residents have experienced losses; harrowing experiences in their travels from Mexico, Central, and South America; and difficulties accessing educational and support services, they are skeptical about the intentions and plans of the agency.

There is a local Latino politician on the City Council who attempts to represent the interests and concerns of residents among the majority Caucasian and African American council members. A nationwide advocacy group has been contacted about the needs of the chronically mentally ill living in downtown, urban areas.

Dr. C is a Caucasian American who has expertise and a good national reputation for developing outreach centers that break down barriers to mental health services. He was formerly the director of a large community mental health services center. He has written a book detailing his efforts to provide services and convert underused community structures into accessible facilities. He is in the process of developing a proposal for the storefront. The agency recently informed him of a scheduled meeting of the planning commission in which the storefront center will be discussed and possibly rejected.

Leading Questions

1. What are some desirable characteristics for the consultant in this situation? What are consultant and consultee roles in this systemi? What are some likely forms of resistance? How would you enter the system?

2. What are the needs of the clients, consultees, and overall organization? How would you determine the nature of the problem to be addressed in consultation? What types of data may be relevant? How will you specify or diagnose the problem?

3. What would be the goals and objectives for some consultation or change effort? How would you facilitate goal setting and decision making in this organization? What are some possible interventions? How would you prioritize goals and interventions in an action plan?

4. What are some probable or desired outcomes of plan implementation? How would you monitor or evaluate process and progress? What are some ways to measure outcome? How will you determine when to terminate the consultation effort and disengage from the consultee system?