Assignment: Practicum - Assessing Client Progress
Learning Objectives
Students will:
· Assess progress for clients receiving psychotherapy
· Differentiate progress notes from privileged notes
· Analyze preceptor's use of privileged notes
To prepare:
· Reflect on the client you selected for the Practicum Assignment.
· Review the Cameron and Turtle-Song (2002) article in this week's Learning Resources for guidance on writing case notes using the SOAP format.
The Assignment
Part 1: Progress Note
Using the client from your Assignment, address the following in a progress note (without violating HIPAA regulations):
· Treatment modality used and efficacy of approach
· Progress and/or lack of progress toward the mutually agreed-upon client goals (reference the Treatment plan-progress toward goals)
· Modification(s) of the treatment plan that were made based on progress/lack of progress
· Clinical impressions regarding diagnosis and/or symptoms
· Relevant psychosocial information or changes from original assessment (i.e., marriage, separation/divorce, new relationships, move to a new house/apartment, change of job, etc.)
· Safety issues
· Clinical emergencies/actions taken
· Medications used by the patient (even if the nurse psychotherapist was not the one prescribing them)
· Treatment compliance/lack of compliance
· Clinical consultations
· Collaboration with other professionals (i.e., phone consultations with physicians, psychiatrists, marriage/family therapists, etc.)
· Therapist's recommendations, including whether the client agreed to the recommendations
· Referrals made/reasons for making referrals
· Termination/issues that are relevant to the termination process (i.e., client informed of loss of insurance or refusal of insurance company to pay for continued sessions)
· Issues related to consent and/or informed consent for treatment
· Information concerning child abuse, and/or elder or dependent adult abuse, including documentation as to where the abuse was reported
· Information reflecting the therapist's exercise of clinical judgment
Note: Be sure to exclude any information that should not be found in a discoverable progress note.
Part 2: Privileged Note
Based on this week's readings, prepare a privileged psychotherapy note that you would use to document your impressions of therapeutic progress/therapy sessions for your client from the Practicum Assignment.
· The privileged note should include items that you would not typically include in a note as part of the clinical record.
· Explain why the items you included in the privileged note would not be included in the client's progress note.
· Explain whether your preceptor uses privileged notes, and if so, describe the type of information he or she might include. If not, explain why.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.