Response 1
Why do the goals of treatment change during the process of therapy?
Goals of treatment change during the process of therapy because the goals could be either achieved or judged to be not as important than they were at the start of their treatment. This means that the goals that were set at the beginning of treatment were met and now need to be changed, or they need to be improved because the client is struggling to meet their goal because they do not feel it is as important or attainable and therefore need to be reevaluated and altered to meet the client’s needs for treatment. This is similar to teaching. When I have a student in the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, I have to create a goal for them to achieve in a certain amount of time. Throughout the intervention process, I have to progress monitor and make sure they are meeting their goal(s). If my student is not meeting their goal(s), I have to reevaluate how the student is making progress toward their goal and change my methods in order for them to become successful. It is important to evaluate how the student, or client in this case, is making progress and see if a change would help them to be more successful in their plan.
How does the number of goals change during the course of treatment and why?
The number of goals change during the course of treatment because the goals have been met and the client is making good progress in their treatment, so they do not need to add any more goals or change the goals that they have. The number of goals can also change during treatment because they may not be effective or may need to be broken down into smaller steps because the previous goal was unattainable for the client. Basically, the client and clinician come together to reevaluate goals to see whether they are still important, attainable, or if they have already been met which leads to the number of goals changing. In the RTI process, goals can be added if the student is successful in their plan and need to continue making progress in other areas, or they have met their goal and we change the goal to something new. If the student is unsuccessful in meeting their goals, it is important to look at their progress and determine why they are struggling to meet their goal. This could mean breaking the original goal down into smaller parts that are easier to achieve or creating a whole different goal that better suits their educational needs.
Why is agreement on treatment goals an important measure of the quality of therapy?
An agreement on treatment goals is an important measure of the quality of therapy because if the client or clinician do not agree on the goals at the start of treatment, it can lead to the client being not responsive to treatment or not successful in meeting their goals. If the dialogue between client and clinician is open and differences in goals are addressed, the goals of treatment and expectations may have a better treatment outcome. The client needs to be involved in their treatment process and goals because they are ultimately the ones who are responsible for following the plan, and if goals are set for them and they do not agree, they will most likely not follow them which will hinder the treatment process.
Based on the powerpoints. What are the essential elements of the treatment plan. Should the treatment plan be clear, concrete, and measurable? If so, please explain why.
The essential elements of the treatment plan are:
Is developed in genuine collaboration with the individual who is to receive services.
Is focused on recovery
Contains recovery-focused goals and objectives
Contains goals and objectives that are clearly stated and measurable
A treatment plan should be clear, concrete, and measurable because if a goal is not clear, then it cannot be easily followed or there may be confusion about what is supposed to be happening. If the goal is not concrete, then the goal is found not to be important or unhelpful to treatment and will ultimately not be followed in the plan. If the goal is not measurable, how do you know if it is actually working? When I make goals for my students, they must be clear, concrete, and measurable so that everyone is on the same page for what is supposed to be happening during the intervention (treatment) and how we are supposed to monitor progress to see if they are meeting their goal. Without these basis of treatment, the treatment plan would falter.
Response 2
1. Why do the goals of treatment change during the process of therapy?
The goals of treatment change as the client and the clients need changes. If you think about it, the goals that you had set out for your life in high school are more than likely, not the same goals that you want to accomplish now. Some of these you may have already achieved or some of these you may just no longer be interested in achieving. For example, earlier on in life I hoped to go to nursing school. However, after taking some classes I realized that was no longer a passion of mine, so going to nursing school is no longer a goal that I plan to achieve. We hope for our clients to set achievable and reasonable goals that they will achieve. However, we should always be willing to allow our clients to grow and learn. That sometimes mean changing our goals and adding or adjusting new ones.
2. How does the number of goals change during the course of treatment and why?
Goals can change based on what the client wants to focus on. We don’t want to overwhelm ourselves or our clients with the amount of work that needs to be done. Goals should be more than the elimination of pathology. They are directed toward the client learning new and more functional methods of coping. Focus on more than just stopping the old dysfunctional behavior. Concentrate on replacing it with something more effective. (Perkinson 1997)
3. Why is agreement on treatment goals an important measure of the quality of therapy?
It is an absolute necessity that the client and the therapist agree on how treatment should be handled. IF the client does not like something, then they may not follow through with the treatment. However, if they think something is a good idea, they may be more apt to follow through. This sometimes allowing the client to come up with ideas to help themselves. “Goals should be more than the elimination of pathology. They are directed toward the client learning new and more functional methods of coping. Focus on more than just stopping the old dysfunctional behavior. Concentrate on replacing it with something more effective.” (Perkinson 1997)
4. Based on the powerpoints. What are the eseesntial elements of the treatment plan. Should the treatment plan be clear, concrete, and measurable. if so, please explain why and why not.
Treatment planning begins as soon as all assessments are completed. There may be needs that need to be addressed immediately. According to the powerpoints, we must take in to account physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. We also must consider the clients strengths, weaknesses, needs, abilities, and preferences. A treatment plan should be clear and measurable. We should be able to measure a client’s progress as they move through their treatment plan. Also, it should be very clear so that we do not get confused or have any type of confusion or miscommunication with patients or clients.
Citations:
Perkinson, R. R. (1997). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.]
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1st Response
Why do therapeutic goals shift during the course of therapy?
Treatment goals alter during the therapy process because they may be achieved or assessed to be less essential than they were at the outset of their treatment. This signifies that the goals set at the start of treatment were accomplished and now need to be adjusted or improved since the client is struggling to meet their goal because they do not believe it is as essential or feasible and thus need to be reevaluated and revised to match the client’s treatment needs. This is analogous to teaching. When I have a student that is enrolled in the Response to Intervention (RTI) program,
