Mental health treatment plans are used as guide for treatment for patients and clinicians. Treatment plans include general and specific goals for the patient to meet and services provided by the clinician to assist the patient with achieving the goals.
Time Frame
Goals on a mental health treatment plan typically include a specific date or general time frame for each goal to be achieved. The treatment plan is typically reviewed at regular intervals, such as every 90 days, but may be modified at any time on an as-needed basis.
Features
A mental health treatment plan typically includes a general goal statement, such as "Patient will learn to use coping skills to effectively manage symptoms of bipolar disorder, improve daily living skills and improve money management in order to be able to live independently in the community." Specific problems, goal statements and interventions provided by clinicians are listed below the general goal statement.
Identification
Treatment plans use a numbering system in order to outline treatment objectives. A common format is "x.y*", where x is the number of the major goal, y is the number of a problem associated with the major goal and * is a letter denoting a specific goal for overcoming the problem that is impeding achievement of the major goal.
Types
A mental health treatment plan is typically available in electronic and paper forms, with the patient receiving a paper copy of the treatment plan. An electronic and/or paper form is included in the chart, depending on whether the facility uses an electronic or paper charting system.
Insurance
Clinical notes reference the treatment plan by denoting the objective number (i.e. "1.1A") that the intervention is addressing in order to justify payment from insurance companies.
