6 week assignment

Psychological Treatment Plan

It is recommended that students review the e-book The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner (Jongsma, Peterson, & Bruce, 2014) for additional assistance in completing this assignment.

Clinical and counseling psychologists utilize treatment plans to document a client’s progress toward short- and long-term goals. The content within psychological treatment plans varies depending on the clinical setting. The clinician’s theoretical orientation, evidenced-based practices, and the client’s needs are taken into account when developing and implementing a treatment plan. Typically, the client’s presenting problem(s), behaviorally defined symptom(s), goals, objectives, and interventions determined by the clinician are included within a treatment plan.

To understand the treatment planning process, students will assume the role of a clinical or counseling psychologist and develop a comprehensive treatment plan based on the same case study utilized for the Psychiatric Diagnosis assignment in PSY645. A minimum of five peer-reviewed resources must be used to support the recommendations made within the plan. The Psychological Treatment Plan must include the headings and content outlined below.

Behaviorally Defined Symptoms

• Define the client’s presenting problem(s) and provide a diagnostic impression.
• Identify how the problem(s) is/are evidenced in the client’s behavior.
• List the client’s cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Long-Term Goal

• Generate a long-term treatment goal that represents the desired outcome for the client.
  • This goal should be broad and does not need to be measureable.

Short-Term Objectives

• Generate a minimum of three short-term objectives for attaining the long-term goal.
  • Each objective should be stated in behaviorally measureable language. Subjective or vague objectives are not acceptable. For example, it should be stated that the objective will be accomplished by a specific date or that a specific symptom will be reduced by a certain percentage.

Interventions

• Identify at least one intervention for achieving each of the short-term objectives.
• Compare a minimum of three evidence-based theoretical orientations from which appropriate interventions can be selected for the client.
• Explain the connection between the theoretical orientation and corresponding intervention selected.
• Provide a rationale for the integration of multiple theoretical orientations within this treatment plan.
• Identify two to three treatment modalities (e.g., individual, couple, family, group, etc.) that would be appropriate for use with the client.

It is a best practice to include outside providers (e.g., psychiatrists, medical doctors, nutritionists, social workers, holistic practitioners, etc.) in the intervention planning process to build a support network that will assist the client in the achievement of treatment goals.

Evaluation

• List the anticipated outcomes of each proposed treatment intervention based on scholarly literature.
  • Be sure to take into account the individual’s strengths, weaknesses, external stressors, and cultural factors (e.g., gender, age, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc.) in the evaluation.
• Provide an assessment of the efficacy of evidence-based intervention options.

Ethics

• Analyze and describe potential ethical dilemmas that may arise while implementing this treatment plan.
• Cite specific ethical principles and any applicable law(s) for resolving the ethical dilemma(s).

The Psychological Treatment Plan

• Must be 8 to 10 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Required Resources

Text

Gorenstein, E., & Comer, R. J. (2015). Case studies in abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Articles

Cohen, K. R., Lee, C. M., & McIlwraith, R. (2012). The psychology of advocacy and the advocacy of psychology. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 53(3), 151-158. doi:10.1037/a0027823

• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. The role of advocacy within health care, academia, and private practice are explored in this article. Twelves steps are outlined in support of successful advocacy in the field of psychology. This resource is applicable to this week’sdiscussion.

Fox, R. E. (2008). Advocacy: The key to the survival and growth of professional psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(6), 633-637. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.39.6.633

• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. The author of this article explains how to develop large-scale advocacy efforts by using a database, targeted messaging, political contributions, and trainings. This resource is applicable to this week’sdiscussion.

Heinowitz, A. E., Brown, K. R., Langsam, L. C., Arcidiacono, S. J., Baker, P. L., Badaan, N. H., & ... Cash, R. E. (2012). Identifying perceived personal barriers to public policy advocacy within psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(4), 372-378. doi:10.1037/a0029161

• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. The authors of this peer-reviewed article examine the underrepresentation of advocates in the field of psychology through an anonymous online survey that reveals eleven barriers to taking action in public policy, social justice, and professional advocacy. This resource is applicable to the Issues of Advocacy and Social Justice discussion. This resource is applicable to this week’s discussion.

Hill, J. K. (2013). Partnering with a purpose: Psychologists as advocates in organizations. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 44(4), 187-192. doi:10.1037/a0033120

• The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. Strategies for collaborating and partnering with organizations are outlined within this article, including how to hone communication skills and serve as a content expert on key service issues. The absence of advocacy within professional training models is also examined. This resource is applicable to this week’sdiscussion.

Lewis, J. A., Ratts, M. J., Paladino, D. A., & Toporek, R. L. (2011). Social justice counseling and advocacy: Developing new leadership roles and competencies. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 3(1), 5-16. Retrieved from http://jsacp.tumblr.com/

• The authors of this article explore the shift from an individual-focused model towards a social justice perspective. Advocacy competencies and strategies for supporting clients at the systems level are outlined. This resource is applicable to this week’sdiscussion.

Recommended Resources

As part of your ongoing studies this week, you are encouraged to interact with one another in the Ashford University Online Psychology Club  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.via LinkedIn. This community of learning will allow youto create supportive networks for like-minded scholarship and to work through difficult course concepts in a mutually respectful environment. Please take a moment to explore the community  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.and see what your colleagues are discussing.

Please note: If you do not already have a LinkedIn account, you will need to create one before joining.

Texts

Jongsma, A. E., Peterson, L. M., & Bruce, T. J. (2014). The complete adult psychotherapy treatment planner (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

• Cognitive Deficits (pp. 116-128)
• Eating Disorders and Obesity (pp.147-160)
• Impulse Control Disorder (pp. 209-219)
  • The full-text version of this e-book can be accessed through the ebrary database in the Ashford University Library and is available to read online. Please be aware that checking this item out of the library may prevent other users from accessing it.

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2013). Clinical interviewing(5th ed.) [E-book]. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.

• Chapter 10: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning (pp. 329-362)
  • The full-text version of this e-book can be accessed through the ebrary database in the Ashford University Library and is available to read online. Please be aware that checking this item out of the library may prevent other users from accessing it. This e-book illustrates various models of clinical interviewing and includes examples of intake reports, mental status exams, and treatment plans using case studies.