Improving client outcomes : the Kansas technical assistance consultation project

A central problem in the design and implementation of mental health services is how to transfer relevant information to the active practitioner. Traditional methods of knowledge transfer, such as professional journals and workshops, appear to have uneven results at best. Outreach consultation services, here described as technical assistance, holds promise as an effective and efficient vehicle for transferring relevant knowledge necessary to improve professional practice. This report describes the technical assistance consultation project jointly sponsored by the University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare and the Kansas State Department of Mental Health and Retardation. It is argued that an important function of this project was symbolic as well as substantive. State departments of mental health and major public universities can work in consort to assist professionals and programs perform at a maximum level. Such an effort re-casts the manner in which these institutions are traditionally viewed by those engaged in direct practice. A case example is provided.