What is a Treatment Plan?
In mental health, a treatment plan refers to a written document that outlines the progression of therapy. It will be used by you and your therapist to direct the steps to take in treating whatever you're working on.
Factors Influencing a Treatment Plan:
A treatment plan may be highly formalized or it may consist of loosely handwritten notes. Which form it takes is dependent on a number of factors.
For instance, your insurance company may require documentation of your diagnosis and treatment in order to cover the costs. Likewise, the facility where you get treatment may have its own standards for a formal plan.
Many therapists also have their own preferences. Some may have found that informal treatment plans are more effective while others prefer to work with patients in a more orderly fashion. Quite often, they will also take into account the severity of the presenting problem for each individual. Someone dealing with minor depression may have a looser treatment plan than a person who has struggled with it for years with little or no progress.
No matter how formalized, however, the treatment plan is always subject to change as therapy progresses. Quite often therapy is a series of baby steps, taking on one thing at a time to work out the concerns of the bigger picture. It's only natural that as you progress, so will your treatment and if something isn't working, a different approach may be required.
Who Can Benefit From a Treatment Plan?
A wide range of people can benefit from mental health treatment plans, including:
- People living with a serious mental illness
- People experiencing distress in one or more areas of life
- Children, parents, and/or families
- The elderly
- Individuals
- Couples
- People with developmental disabilities
- People experiencing sexual or gender identity issues
- People being bullied and/or abused
- Bullies and/or abusers
- People in the criminal justice system
- Employers and/or employees
Sources: https://www.verywellmind.com/treatment-plan-2671662,
https://positivepsychology.com/mental-health-treatment-plans/
