Treatment Plan

At the most basic level, a mental health treatment plan is simply a set of written instructions and records relating to the treatment of an ailment or illness. A treatment plan will include the patient or client’s personal information, the diagnosis (or diagnoses, as is often the case with mental illness), a general outline of the treatment prescribed, and space to measure outcomes as the client progresses through treatment.

A treatment plan does many things, the most important of which include (Leahy, Holland, & McGinn, 2011; PHN, 2017):

1. Defining the problem or ailment
2. Describing the treatment prescribed by the health/mental health professional
3. Setting a timeline for treatment progress (whether it’s a vague timeline or includes specific milestones)
4. Identifying the major treatment goals
5. Noting important milestones and objectives

This documentation of the most important components of treatment helps the therapist and client stay on the same page, provides an opportunity for discussion of the treatment as planned, and can act as a reminder and motivational tool.