Abstract
Many psychologists who undertake consultation activities for the first time may ignore, or not even be aware of, the “administrative” or sociological aspects of the situation in which the consultation process takes place. The point of view presented here is that the structure of a school system using a mental health consultant is intimately related to how the consultant operates and what he does in his role as consultant. The Superintendent, Principals and Vice-Principals all determine the areas in which the consultant can work, the types of problems with which he will be asked to help, and the possible range of activities school personnel themselves can undertake to deal with the pupil problems confronting them. Specific examples of the interactions between the consultant's role and the authority-responsibility level of the individual consultees are presented. The consultant's knowledge of any organization's structure can aid him in planning for consultative activities that are appropriate to the personnel with whom he is working.