Last Updated on February 11, 2017 by Morris Green

Treatment planning is the fifth core function of drug and alcohol counseling. It is developed and revised after the initial and ongoing assessments. The goal of a treatment plan is identifying and ranking the problems a client needs to see resolved and establishing an agreed upon set of immediate and long-term goals. The plan will include a treatment process and resources to utilize.

The creation of a treatment plan is directly based on the results of the assessment – assessment. It is, at its most basic, a product of negation. The creation of a successful plan involves quality input from the client taken into careful consideration by the counselor. Treatment plans are unique and tailored to each individual.

The Basic Requirements

In order to create a treatment plan, the previous four core functions must have been completed. You will pool information collected from these steps. The final treatment plan will fulfill four major criteria:

1. Explanation: The results of a client’s assessment must be explained to them in an understandable manner. This provides a prime opportunity to see their reaction and listen to their concerns. The process of treatment planning itself will also need to be fully explained.
2. Identification: You’ll need to identify and rank your client’s issues based on their needs. Create a written treatment plan based on what you identify.
3. Formulation: Next, negotiation begins. You’ll discuss the treatment plan and agree on short- and long-term goals. Behavioral terms will be used, explained, and incorporated into the plan, and it will be your responsibility to ensure your client understands the plan from terminologies to expectations.
4. Treatment: Finally, you’ll identify the treatment methods and resources to be utilized during treatment. These will be tailored to your client, and will need to be modified over time if they prove unproductive.

Ultimately, the treatment plan describes the services to be rendered, when they will be provided, and at what frequency. It is imperative for the client to understand their individualized plan in depth. The language used in the problem, goal, and strategy statements must be specific and understandable.

Reviewing Treatment Plans Regularly

As a substance abuse counselor, it will fall to you to regularly review your clients’ treatment plan. You will also be tasked with updating or modifying them as appropriate. While reviewing plans frequently might initially seem like busy work, it is one of the most important elements of your job. A client’s treatment plan is vital to their success. It will grow and evolve as they (and you) do. For clients recovering from addiction, kicking their substance of choice may reveal underlying mental health issues that need to be addressed.

The approaches to treatment planning are numerous. It’s likely you will develop your own unique approach based on the policies and procedures you work under, combined with your growing experience. At the end of the day, treatment planning is about using the information you’ve collected to create a comprehensive set of tools and strategies customized to your individual clients so that together you may successfully address needs and achieve goals.