Section 4210.142. Consultation service

Consultation service is an organized method by which professional advice is given by a practitioner in the mental health or mental retardation fields to a practitioner of another discipline or field regarding the mental health or mental retardation aspects of a problem and the most effective way of dealing with these aspects. The problem may be that of an individual, a specific group or a community. Consultation service by extending the expertise of a mental health or mental retardation practitioner enables the consultee to become a more effective care-giving person thus making possible a greater use of mental health and mental retardation professionals as well as identifying those persons who are a high risk. In addition to dealing with individual care-giving persons, mental health and mental retardation consultation service can also be of great benefit in helping a variety of agencies and groups to be aware of the mental health and mental retardation implications of their programs and to develop more appropriate and effective services.