6 Treatment Planning
What is treatment planning?
Treatment planning is the process by which the therapist and client develop a treatment plan. Treatment plans are often referred to as the roadmap of the treatment process. They outline the steps both the client and counselor will take toward the client’s successful completion of treatment. They also serve as a tool to measure client progress.
After an initial assessment has been conducted, the counselor will develop a treatment plan. Treatment planning should be done collaboratively with a client, helping both client and counselor to identify problems that need to be addressed and goals related to those problems. By definition, treatment planning is the process by which the counselor and the client identify and rank problems needing resolution, establish agreed-upon immediate and long-term goals, and decide upon a treatment process and the resources to be utilized. Global criteria for treatment planning include:
- Explain assessment results to client in an understandable manner.
- Identify and rank problems based on individual client needs in the written treatment plan.
- Formulate agreed-upon immediate and long-term goals using behavioral terms in the written treatment plan.
- Identify the treatment methods and resources to be utilized as appropriate for the individual client.
Treatment planning is to be individualized. That is, the treatment plan is to include problems, goals, objectives, and interventions specific to the client and their needs. Thus, no two treatment plans will be the same, as no two individuals have the exact same experience.
Identifying Problems
When identifying problems, it helps to look at the ASAM dimensions and the information that was gathered during the initial assessment. As mentioned in Unit 1, the six ASAM dimensions are:
- Acute intoxication and/or withdrawal potential
- Biomedical conditions and complications
- Emotional, behavioral, or cognitive conditions and complications
- Readiness to change
- Relapse, continued use or continued problem potential
- Recovering/living environment
When a client is seeking treatment related to a substance use disorder, the first problem addressed on the treatment plan should be related to ASAM dimension 1 and the client’s use. It is determined whether or not the client will require detoxification and, if so, this is to be included on the treatment plan. If not, the substance use disorder is still the first problem to be addressed, however, in a more global sense.
Examples of Common Problems Addressed on Treatment Plans
- History of a substance use disorder
- Medical conditions that will need to be addressed in treatment or continue to be monitored if the client is already receiving medical care
- Inadequate coping related to emotions/difficulty with emotional regulation
- Diagnosable mental health disorders
- History of trauma
- Unresolved grief
- Lack of adequate support
- Relationship issues
- Employment issues, including, but n