Assessing Client Family Progress

Assignment 1: Practicum – Assessing Client Family Progress (Due in Week 8)

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Create progress notes

Create privileged notes

Justify the inclusion or exclusion of information in progress and privileged notes

Evaluate preceptor notes

To prepare:

Reflect on the client family you selected for the Week 3 Practicum Assignment.

Assignment

Part 1: Progress Note



Using the client family from your Week 3 Practicum Assignment, address in a progress note (without violating HIPAA regulations) the following:



Treatment modality used and efficacy of approach

Progress and/or lack of progress toward the mutually agreed-upon client goals (reference the treatment plan for 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 (e.g., marriage, separation/divorce, new relationships, move to a new house/apartment, change of job)

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 (e.g., phone consultations with physicians, psychiatrists, marriage/family therapists)

The 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 (e.g., 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 family from the Week 3 Practicum Assignment.



In your progress note, address the following:



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 family’s progress note.

Explain whether your preceptor uses privileged notes. If so, describe the type of information he or she might include. If not, explain why.