A five level intervention model: division of professional labor and implication for school counseling

Abstract

Mental-health services can contribute substantially to many areas of school life, but the nature and effectiveness of these contributions depend to a large degree on the willingness of the personnel involved to work as a team and to develop new perspectives and practices. This article presents a five level model of mental-health intervention in the school setting and posits a division of responsibility for that intervention among the school psychologist, the school guidance counselor and the teacher. Implications for a school-counselor preparation program are discussed.Psychoeducation has been accorded an important role in counseling psychology in general (e.g,, Authier, Gustafson, Guemey and Kasdorf, 1975;Ivey, 1979;Watkins, 1985) and school counseling in particular (e.g., Klingman, 1983; Valine, 1981, 1984). The purpose of this article is to present a psychoeducationally-oriented intervention model for the school setting that has direct implication for pupil-personnel services. The five-level model of intervention adopts a community psychology orientation (e.g., Mann, 1978;Raviv, 1979) and follows a developmental counseling approach. In this model, a division of professional responsibility among the school psychologist, guidance counselor and teaching staff, as well as a proposal for the active involvement of all these personnel, is presented across the five-level intervention modality. A two dimensional view of interventionIn our context psychoeducalion refers to the teaching of psychological knowledge and skills, Ihe training employed being relevant to the growth of the individual being taught. Psychoeducation focuses on teaching skills to clients undergoing a crisis; skills that will enable them to cope more effectively. It further aims at teaching non-clients, assuming that they can be taught the relevant knowledge and skills that will enable them to cope more effectively if and when a problem, developmental and/or situational, arises.

International Community Psychology

“…These principles are also strongly related to the ideas of CP, which refer to the utilization of existing individual and community resources. Klingman's (1988) model consists of four stages: the anticipatory preparation stage, the impact stage, the short-term adaptation stage, and the longterm adaptation stage (see also Klingman, 1989). Thus, many schools have taken on the responsibility for crisis intervention, and especially preventive intervention.…”

Teaching School Counselors and School Psychologists to Work Collaboratively

“…Likewise. the nature of the school psychologist's role demands the ability to create and negotiate partnerships with a variety of school personnel (Klingman. 1989).…”