Treatment Planning

Challenges in the Treatment Planning Process
Federal and state laws, including Public Law 94-142 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), require that children with emotional, behavioral, and learning disorders be given a diagnosis in order to receive the needed services and accommodations (Neukrug & Fawcett, 2015). An clinical diagnosis is also necessary when requesting reimbursement from managed care organizations and insurance companies, as they will base the number of authorized therapy sessions on the diagnosis and treatment plan goals. The DSM -5 is an important tool in determining a client’s diagnosis and should be used in combination with clinical interviews, family assessments, and standardized assessment instruments when developing a treatment plan (Neukrug & Fawcett, 2015).
Giving an Accurate Diagnosis
Some of the disorders listed in the DSM-5 contain clusters of symptoms, however many disorders are now on a spectrum with other closely related disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is important to remember that clients frequently do not meet all of the criteria for a given disorder, and there may be overlapping symptoms across multiple disorders that warrant clinical attention. Thus, the boundaries between various disorders can easily become blurred. Clinicians often have to give a diagnosis fairly quickly, particularly when seeking third party reimbursement. And, while a diagnosis should not be given solely for reimbursement purposes, giving a diagnosis is often a time-sensitive process. INSERT CODE OF ETHICS. Helping professionals can do harm to clients when an inaccurate diagnosis is given, particularly because the diagnosis is a key element when making treatment decisions....

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