Ann Harris

Diagnosing and Treating Child Mental Health Problems

Consider a child who was mentioned and described as an example in one of the videos you watched on child or adolescent mental health problems. Imagine that child or teen has been referred to you for counseling. Devise a diagnosis and treatment plan for this child or adolescent, using Chapter 19 in your Henderson & Thompson textbook, the First textbook, and the additional article you selected. Use the following format for your treatment plan (see the Treatment Planner books in your Optional Materials, for examples).

1. Problem: There may be many problems evident, but choose one for the initial focus of treatment.
2. Problem Definition: Describe how the problem is specifically evidenced by the client, using terms from the Diagnostic criteria in the DSM.
3. Goals: Set broad goals, based on your preferred theoretical orientation, that will result in the resolution of the target problem. Provide a brief rationale for these goals, with references.
4. Objectives: State objectives in specific language that can be measured (and meet demands for accountability).
5. Interventions: Design actions that the counselor will take to help the client complete the objectives, based on the clients' needs and strengths and your own skills and knowledge.
6. Diagnosis: This may be preliminary. Compare the behavioral, cognitive, emotional and interpersonal symptoms of the client to those in the DSM and the Handbook of Differential Diagnosis, to decide on the most appropriate diagnosis.