Treatment Planning Flashcards

A mandated client is resistant to collaborating on treatment planning goals. The most ethical approach is to:

Answer: Explore the client's ambivalence and identify any personally meaningful goals within the mandated context

Even with mandated clients, motivational approaches help identify the client's own goals within the mandated framework, increasing engagement.

A treatment plan using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) would most likely include goals that are:

Answer: Framed around exceptions to the problem and client strengths already in place

SFBT treatment goals are built around exceptions—times when the problem is absent or less severe—and the client's existing competencies.

When co-constructing a treatment plan with a family, a therapist discovers that family members have conflicting goals. The therapist should:

Answer: Negotiate goals that acknowledge individual needs while identifying shared systemic objectives

Effective systemic treatment planning balances individual member needs with shared relational and family-level goals.

Which of the following is the most appropriate long-term goal for a couple experiencing chronic distress?

Answer: Couple will demonstrate increased use of collaborative problem-solving skills as measured by therapist observation over 12 sessions

An effective long-term goal is measurable, observable, tied to a specific skill, and includes a method and timeframe for evaluation.

In the context of MFT treatment planning, psychoeducation is best used as:

Answer: An adjunct component that supports skill-building and normalizes experiences

Psychoeducation is a supportive component within a broader treatment plan, providing information that complements therapeutic interventions.

A therapist is treating a same-sex couple and plans to use heteronormative couples therapy protocols without adaptation. This approach is problematic because it:

Answer: Fails to account for unique stressors such as minority stress, discrimination, and lack of social support

Treatment plans for same-sex couples must be adapted to address minority stress, internalized stigma, and the absence of heteronormative social scripts.

When a client discloses a new crisis (e.g., suicidal ideation) during a routine session, the therapist should:

Answer: Prioritize safety planning immediately and revisit and modify the treatment plan accordingly

Crisis disclosure requires immediate safety planning as the priority, followed by integration of the new information into the treatment plan.