Adolescent mental health treatment plans are generally decided following intake and assessment into a psychiatric hospital setting, rehabilitation or residential facility. The governmental project "Healthy People 2010" suggests that the use of a mental health treatment plan may also be employed following intake and assessment of the need for community services on an outpatient basis to ensure the appropriation, delivery and funding of adequate social services.
Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals are generally decided in adolescent mental health treatment plans as a means to direct services and strive for improvements. In the treatment plan, these goals are set to improve adherence to program specifications, place accountability and responsibility at least partially on the patient and for all parties involved to be on the same page as it relates to making progress. The long-term use of services, whether inpatient or outpatient, can be expensive as well as time consuming for all parties involved. "Healthy People 2010" posits that the effectiveness of a program often depends upon goals being met with the funds alloted to do so.
Short-Term Goals
Short-term goals are set to be obtained within a smaller time frame and are not expected to be as hard to attain as the long-term ones. Rather, the idea behind the short-term goal is that as they are reached or mastered, the constant strive and achievement towards them leads to progress in the long-term. For example, the Mental Health QUERI Clinical Goals clearly indicates that short-term goals for a schizophrenic should include collaboration of team efforts, medication management and strict patient adherence to taking them regularly.
Plan of Action
A plan of action is the portion of the adolescent mental health treatment plan that describes the steps to take to counter behaviors and provide steps for emergency psychiatric services if needed. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration posits that if an individual becomes uncontrollable or violent, the first plan of action is to contact the police. In non-violent circumstances, it is advised to contact community services that are part of the team collaboration. In situations that the individual becomes a threat to himself it is recommended that the parent or service personnel bring the individual to the local emergency room at any hospital with these services for immediate treatment, social work intervention and referral for inpatient services.
