ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses 'entering' new organisations, services and teams and beginning consultation with individuals or groups. Creating relationship maps can help familiarise the consultant with the organisational structure, lines of management, responsibility, communication and reporting hierarchies within the consultation context, as well as identify important relationships and connections with and between consultees. In consultee-centred consultation, the consultant's focus is on facilitating the consultee's work with the client rather than on solving the client's problem for the consultee or addressing working with the whole service, team or organisation. The people commissioning the consultation are not always clear about what they themselves want or expect from 'consultation', what the work involves, what it can offer or how it can be used by staff-consultees. The relationship with the consultee is the most important element in the mental health consultation process. Collaborative consultation involves coordinating and creating contexts to connect with consultees.
