Treatment Planning Process Flashcards

A client with major depressive disorder refuses pharmacotherapy but agrees to therapy. When writing the treatment plan, the counselor should:

Answer: Document the refusal and incorporate the client's preferences into the plan

Client autonomy and informed refusal must be documented and respected while still crafting an evidence-based plan within the client's stated preferences.

Which element of a SMART goal addresses whether the goal can realistically be achieved given the client's current resources?

Answer: Attainable

The 'Attainable' (or Achievable) component ensures the goal is realistic given the client's strengths, resources, and circumstances.

During a treatment planning session, a client with PTSD discloses ongoing domestic violence. The counselor's first priority should be:

Answer: Conduct a safety assessment and revise the plan to address immediate safety

Immediate safety supersedes all other treatment planning priorities; the plan must be revised to address the acute safety concern first.

A counselor is writing objectives for a client's treatment plan. Objectives differ from goals in that objectives are:

Answer: Specific, measurable steps toward achieving the broader goal

Objectives are the concrete, measurable steps that serve as the pathway toward achieving the overarching treatment goal.

A managed care organization requests a treatment plan update after 8 sessions. What information is most critical to include?

Answer: Client's progress toward measurable objectives and medical necessity justification

Utilization review requires evidence of medical necessity and demonstrated progress toward measurable objectives to authorize continued services.

Which approach to treatment planning involves collaboratively identifying problems, strengths, and goals with the client actively participating in each step?

Answer: Collaborative or client-centered planning

Collaborative treatment planning treats the client as an active partner, which improves therapeutic alliance and goal commitment.

A counselor notes that a client's presenting problem has shifted significantly since the initial treatment plan was written. The appropriate action is to:

Answer: Update the treatment plan to reflect current presenting concerns

Treatment plans are living documents that must be revised whenever there are significant changes in the client's presenting concerns or clinical status.