Mental health consultation with government agencies: a comparison of two cases

Few case histories of "unsuccessful" mental health planning consultation have been reported in the literature. Two case histories are herein presented, one considered "successful" (by criteria described in the paper) and one considered not. Examination of these two cases underscores the importance of (1) explicit definition of task, (2) access of the consultant to policy makers, (3) access to the target population, (4) consultant control over his own schedule, and (5) adequate logistic support. Practical recommendations are included for achieving these steps.