The concepts of therapy-oriented and problem-oriented plans are discussed and their advantages and disadvantages considered. Goal-directed planning is proposed as an alternative to intuitive decision making. Goal-directed planning involves the abstraction of pivotal problems from a diagnostic formulation, the restatement of problems as goals, the selection of appropriate therapy, the designation of a target date, the stipulation of objectives, the selection of methods of evaluation and the monitoring of progress. Systematic goal-directed planning fosters teamwork, promotes accountability, obviates therapeutic drift and enhances outcome evaluation. Its chief disadvantage is its unfamiliarity.
References
1.
AchenbachT. M.EdelbrockC. (1983), Manual for the Child Behaviour Checklist and the Revised Behaviour Profile, Queen City Printers, Burlington, Vermont
2.
GrantR.MaletzkyB. (1972), Application of the Weed system to psychiatric records, Psychiatric Medicine3, 119–29
3.
HoutsP. K.ScottR. A. (1976), Individualized Goal Planning, Mental Health Rehabilitation, Hershey, Pennsylvania
4.
JOINT COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION OF HOSPITALS (1985), Consolidated Standards Manual for Child. Adolescent and Adult Psychiatric, Alcoholism, and Drug Abuse Facilities, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, Chicago
5.
KiresukT. M.ShermanG. E. (1968), Goal attainment scaling: A general method for evaluating comprehensive community mental health programmes, Community Mental Health Journal6, 443–53
6.
NurcombeB.GallagherR. M. (1986), The Clinical Process in Psychiatry: Diagnosis and Management Planning, Cambridge University Press, New York
7.
SifneosP. E. (1972), Short-Term Psychotherapy and Emotional Crisis, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass
8.
WeedL. L. (1969), Medical Records. Medical Education, and Patient Care, Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio
