Larry D Powell

Emilie Hall - Distance Learning Room

Office: M 1-4, Fri 9-12 (and by appointment)

Phone:  761-3218 (w) 231-2102 (h)

Fax:      406-761-6816

E-mail:  lpowell01@ugf.edu

 

 

Graduate Records Documentation MAC/MPC 528/Telecom Spring 2008

                                              Mondays 8:00 A.M._____________________________________

Documenting clinical records in a professional and ethical manner is essential for today’s counseling psychotherapist and helping professional. The information in this class will help develop documentation skills while advancing understanding of the need for conducting therapeutic process in a confidential manner. Information presented will include: developing the treatment process, HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) and confidentiality awareness, some understanding of third party requirements, exploring current documentation procedures, intake assessment via biopsychosocial and mental status exam, treatment planning, professional correspondence, progress reporting, defining the problem and validating diagnosis, and documenting the need for additional services.  

Pre-requisite: None         (Course location: Emilie Hall-distance learning room)

 

Course Objectives for Records Documentation:

 Upon successful completion of this course, each student shall:

 

                                                  ALL STUDENTS

 

Goal/Objectives:

Learning Activities

Evaluation

1. Understand the need for professional records documentation.

Text Reading

Video Lectures

Class Discussions

Exam

Written Assignment

2. Demonstrate clear documentation of the course of client therapy.

Class Discussion

Video Lectures

Experiential Activities

Exam

3. Increase awareness and compliance with HIPAA and confidentiality.

Text Reading

Video Lectures

Class Discussions & Handouts

Exam

Quiz

4. Gather and assess pertinent data needed to help identify the client's problem(s).

Text Reading

Video Lectures

Class Discussion

Handout activities

Exam

 

5. Outline a plan for effective course of treatment for the client's problem.

Text Reading

Video Lectures

Experiential Activities

Exam

6. Heighten communications with other helping professionals.

Text Reading

Video Lectures

Experiential activities

Exam

Written Assignment

7. Further define the problem and validate the diagnosis.

Text Reading

Graduate Group Discussion

 

Exam

 

8. Document the need for additional services.

Text Reading

Graduate Group Discussion

Exam

 

 

 

Required Text:        Wiger, Donald E. (2005)  The Psychotherapy Documentation Primer

                                                                          2nd Addition

                                                                          John Wiley and Sons Inc, New York

 

Course Evaluation Measures:

Attendance/Participation  2 x 10       20 points

Quiz                                                 10 points

Mid-term Exam                                50 points

Final Exam                                       70 points

Papers  2 x 25                                  50 points

                 Total possible points - 200 points     

Grading:

Your final grade for this course will be assigned

according to the following grade scale

                 Graduate

                A = 180-200

                B = 151-179

                C = 132-150

                D = 120-131

 

 

Class Participation & Attendance   (10 points + 10 points = 20 points): 

Participation is a critical element of learning both in terms of knowledge and of skill development. Lively interaction is important to everyone in class!  Your fellow students and professor need you to give thoughtful and appropriate input and feedback. This course includes practice exercises and if you don't attend you can't participate. You can attend however and not participate, it's your choice but your grade will reflect that. Therefore, attendance and class participation will be taken into consideration for determining a final grade per points stated above.

HIPAA Quiz (10):

            Each student is responsible for developing and completing the HIPAA quiz in class. Each student is responsible for bringing 2 written appropriate questions   concerning HIPAA and confidentiality with correct answers to class on the date indicated for open discussion. The professor will select 10 questions to comprise the quiz which will be completed in class after review. 

 

Miscellaneous Forms, Summaries, Correspondence

 

Mid-term Examination (50 points):

            Each student will complete a mid-term examination. This in class open book and open note exam will cover contextual interpretations of the text, lectures, demonstrations, and other class experiences. The exam will be a combination of short answer, essay, and multiple choice questions.

Final Examination        (70 points):  

Each student will complete a comprehensive final examination. This in class open book and open note exam will cover contextual interpretations of the text, lectures, demonstrations, and other class experiences. The exam will be a combination of short answer, essay, and multiple choice questions.

Written Assignments (Graduates) (50 points):

Specific writing guidelines for each of these papers will be discussed during class time and are listed below. Please have your copies of this syllabus available during each and every class meeting time.   

General Guidelines for the Successful Submission of Written Assignments:

1.   ALL papers are due at the beginning of class ON the due date listed beside each assignment.  All written assignments must be submitted in hard copy—e-mail or faxed submissions are not acceptable (except for telecom classes).  As a courtesy to those students who turn in their papers on time, all assignments submitted after the due date will lose points!

2.   All papers must be typed or computer generated, APA style, with the student’s name, the course name and number, the title of the paper and/or the title of the assignment, and the complete submission date, including year, typed in the upper right hand corner of the first page of the assignment.  PLEASE put your last name and the page number on each page!

3.   All papers must be submitted on WHITE 8x11 standard typing paper.  Do not submit your papers on anything else.

4.   All multi-page written assignments must be stapled in the upper left hand corner. DO NOT submit any assignment with a cover, in a folder, on a computer disk, or in any other unusual way.  Such papers will not be graded. Most importantly, DO NOT submit your assignment with a slick cover pinched together by a plastic rod!  .  

5.   Keep copies of all written assignments submitted in this class for your own records.  All written assignments will be graded in a timely fashion and returned at the professor’s convenience and discretion. 

 

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS/GRADUATES STUDENTS ONLY:

 

Written assignment # 1     "The Process"     (25 points—due 25 Feb 2008)

One of the essential components of an effective session with the client is a clear course of treatment through appropriate documentation. Your view, attitudes, and beliefs about the importance of documenting will affect the quality of the counseling relationship, the therapeutic effectiveness of your individual style, and the quality of your client outcome. You are required to reflect your new found knowledge and personal views about this process of documentation.  

3-4 typed double-spaced pages.

This paper will answer the following questions:

 

 Your view of this therapeutic process:

-          What are the stages of the process and how important is each stage to you as the professional?

-     How does your attitude about documenting effect the client really, if it does at all?

-     Is their another process you would recommend as more effective?

-          How does it feel to know how much you can affect the life of your client through this process?

 

Please use this paper to demonstrate integration of material and original thinking!

Remember that I am interested in your newly acquired knowledge and thoughts about the material.

 

Written assignment # 2    "Professional Correspondence"    (25 points—due 21 Apr 2008)

Each professional needs to understand the impact of his/her communication with other professionals that might be seeing your client. Your communications style, attitudes, and beliefs can be valuable to your clients and to your business. You are required in this paper to 1)define your communication style, 2)define your attitude concerning your client, and 3) tell how your beliefs about how all this can or cannot effect you and your business.

 

               3-4 typed, double-spaced page.

Please use this paper to demonstrate integration of material and original thinking!

Remember that I am interested in your newly acquired knowledge and thoughts about the material.

 

 

Accommodations for Students with Special Needs   Reasonable accommodation will be available to students with special needs as determined by the Center for Academic Excellence in Sullivan Hall (791-5213.) Please notify the professor as soon as possible of any adaptations that would help you in the classroom or if she can be of assistance in any other way.

 

Student Responsibilities   By registering for this class, all students agree to learn and follow the academic honesty, conduct, and responsibilities policies as stated in the UGF catalog and student manual.

 

 

                                            Class Schedule Spring 2008

Class

Meetings

Week

Review, Class Activities

And Discussions

Review Video #

 

Review Reading

Chapter #

Notes

 

1 - Jan 14    INTRODUCTION - PROFESSOR, STUDENTS, AND COURSE

 

2 - Jan 21    ***   NO CLASS  Martin Luther King Day   ***

 

3 - Jan 28    Video #1 and #2 Intro                                          Chpt #1 and #2   

 

4 – Feb 4     Video #3 and #4 Confidentiality/HIPAA   

 

5 - Feb 11    Video #5, #6 and #7 Biopsychosocial, Mental Status Exam  Chpt #3 and Chpt #4

 

6 – Feb 18   ***   NO CLASS Presidents Day   ***

 

7 - Feb 25    ***   MIDTERM   -    GRADUATE PAPER #1 DUE   ***

 

    

8 - Mar 3     ***   SPRING BREAK - RELAX  -  CHILL - ZONE OUT - VACATION  -   PARTY   ***

 

 

9 - Mar 10    ***  GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY - REVIEW CHAPTER #5 and #8   ***

 

10 - Mar 17  - Chpt #6 and  Chpt #7  

 

11 - Mar 24   ***  NO CLASS Easter   *** 

 

12 - Mar 31  Video #8 and #9 Treatment Planning  

 

13 - Apr 7    Tx Plan Exercises

 

14 - Apr 14   Video #10 and #11 Progress Notes   Progress Note Exercises

 

14 - Apr 21    ***   FINAL EXAM REVIEW  - GRADUATE PAPER #2 DUE   ***

 

 

15 – APR 28      FINAL EXAM                          FINAL EXAM                              FINAL EXAM