Treatment Plan
n) A detailed plan with information about the patient's illness, the goal of treatment, treatment options for the disease and possible side effects, and the expected duration of treatment. Careful documentation allows all treatment providers to see treatment goals and the accommodations that have been made to meet them. Most substance use disorder treatment professionals already have extensive knowledge of the complex ways in which psychological denial and addiction intertwine, and have developed methods for working with clients whose denial represents a significant obstacle to treatment. It is essential to the treatment planning process that the treatment provider knows how well a person understands their disability.
While people in similar circumstances with similar problems may have similar treatment plans, it's important to understand that each treatment plan is unique. Discharging a patient from the treatment program for a single relapse, for example, can be counterproductive for many people with coexisting disabilities, especially considering how difficult all life transitions can be and how limited alternative treatment or care options can be. A treatment plan is a detailed plan tailored to the individual patient and is a powerful tool for involving the patient in their treatment. The treatment plan should document all alterations to the usual treatment procedures being performed.
When evaluating and reviewing a treatment plan, treatment providers should seek the client's cooperation. Mental health treatment plans generally highlight important information from the evaluation, define areas of concern, and set specific goals for treatment. In these cases, the customer may be given a locked place to store medications on the premises; however, while it may be wise to ask a person with chronic pain to leave their medication with the treatment staff for administration, this may not be legal in a typical residential treatment for substance use disorders program. Early in the treatment planning process, discussions about how a person with a disability uses avoidance strategies in daily life will be beneficial to both themselves and the treatment provider.
Mental health treatment plans are versatile and multifaceted documents that allow mental health professionals and those trying to design and monitor therapeutic treatment. Treatment plans should be reviewed to fit the needs of people with coexisting disabilities, recognizing that not all clients respond equally well to the same types of treatment. To keep treatment going, it is important that case notes reflect the client's progress or lack of progress toward treatment goals. Treatment planning is a process in which the therapist adapts, to the greatest extent possible, the application of available treatment resources to the individual goals and needs of each client.
Successful treatment for all clients must involve all levels of treatment staff; changes at the systemic level will be reflected at the organizational level and, most importantly, at the client-counselor level where recovery begins.
