How to Develop Mental Health Treatment Plans

Developing a quality mental health treatment plan requires a certain amount of education and experience as well as proper planning. Prior to developing a treatment plan, a clinician will initiate a screening and assessment process. A full assessment will allow the clinician to determine a complete diagnosis, the client's level of functioning, his or her readiness for change, and it will further assist the clinician in determining the level of care needed. This is a process of engaging the individual and refining his or her needs. Once this is complete, the treatment plan is ready to be developed.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine acute safety needs. Does the client need to be hospitalized or referred to a psychiatrist immediately? Is the client suicidal or homicidal? These needs should be addressed right away.

• 2

  Determine the diagnosis and the severity of mental health and/or substance abuse disorders. This guides the clinician's choice for the level of care. Address Axis I through V, pursuant to the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Assign a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score to the client.

• 3

  Determine the level of care needed. This could be inpatient, intensive outpatient, or basic care monitoring. If the client has severe substance abuse issues, he or she may require a detoxification program before proceeding with treatment. Also address the level of the client's disability at this time.

• 4

  Identify the client's strengths and skills. Determine areas of prior treatment successes as well as areas where skill building is needed. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here. If the client has participated in treatment in the past, she can tell you what worked or didn't work for her.

• 5

  Identify the availability of support for the client. Make a list of friends or relatives who have been helpful in the past, especially those who understand and support the client's ongoing care. Determine whether or not supportive outside relationships need to be established.

• 6

  Determine cultural context. What is the most culturally appropriate treatment intervention or setting? For example, a Spanish-speaking client would obviously not benefit from an English-speaking support group. Furthermore, cultural issues may affect how the client perceives his or her illness, as well as how he will approach treatment.

• 7

  Determine what problems need to be solved specifically with the client. Identify a goal for each problem and list specific steps needed for the client to achieve each goal. Include a target date or time-frame. At this time, you may also want to introduce the date the treatment plan will be reviewed.