PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES HEAT ACCESS TARGET SCOPING

DEFINITIONS FOR KEY MEASUREMENT POINTS

DEFINING AND MEASURING THE TARGET

The waiting time will be measured between the date referral received and the date psychological treatment commences as planned

As a balancing measure the waiting time will also be measured between:

1) Date referral received and START of initial assessmentfor suitability for psychological therapy (ICP 15)

2) START of initial assessmentfor suitability for psychological therapy (ICP 15) and the date psychological treatment commences as planned

TIME

DATE REFERRAL RECEIVED

A referral is a request to a care professional, team, service or organisation to provide appropriate care to a patient/client. A referral may be made by a person, team, service or organisation on behalf of a patient/client, or a patient/client may refer him/herself.

The clock starts on the date of receipt of referral to the service delivering evidence based psychological therapies.

GUIDANCE WITH REGARDS TO ‘START OF INITIAL ASSESSMENT FOR SUITABILITY FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY’ FOR PURPOSE OF TARGET

The assessment for suitability may be carried out:

·  as part of a generic mental health assessment

·  as part of a specialist psychological assessment

·  during a care plan review

It must incorporate ICP 15 - The need for structured psychological and/or psychosocial intervention for the service user is assessed http://www.icptoolkit.org/generic-care/15.-psychological-psychosocial-interventions

The ICP states:

·  15a Psychological therapies are delivered by appropriately trained and accredited staff under practice supervision;

·  15b The assessed need for psychological and/or psychosocial interventions is recorded;

·  15c Where needs have been identified, there is a record that the service user has been offered a range of therapies, including educational, social and lifestyle advice as well as psychological and/or psychosocial therapies;

·  15d There are systems for the provision of psychological and/or psychosocial therapies, including:
• review of individual service user progress, and
• recording of outcome

The assessment for suitability may result in a provisional formulation[1] and action plan for what to do next.

GUIDANCE FOR IDENTIFYING THE POINT AT WHICH PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT STARTS

It has been suggested that treatment commences when ‘initial formulation is complete, a collaborative treatment plan is in place and the psychological treatment commences as planned’

This may include the following steps:

·  Complaint(s)/ Problem(s) have been identified

·  The decision about the suitability for psychological therapy has been made

·  Boundaries have been established

·  There has been formulation of a treatment plan

·  There is collaborative agreement with the patient on the next steps

·  Goals and Reviews are set

·  Evidence based therapy starts to be delivered by a suitably qualified/ trained practitioner

·  When the patient knows ‘something is being done’

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Definitions for key data points_v1.1.doc

[1] ‘Formulation is a mini-theory that explains why the presenting problems developed, why they persist, what protective factors either prevent them from becoming worse or may be enlisted to solve the presenting problems’. Carr, A., The Handbook of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology A Contextual Approach. 2nd ed. 2006, London: Routledge