How to write a SMART goal (for mental health)

Writing SMART goals for mental health treatment plans is easy when you have a simple formula. Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey of QA Prep offers tips for writing SMART goals easily and quickly. She also reviews some common mistakes to avoid writing goals for counseling or psychotherapy.

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00:00 Introduction
00:24 What is a SMART goal
00:49 Do I need to use SMART goals
02:01 Specific
03:50 Measurable
04:25 How to create measurements
06:19 Mistakes to avoid
07:05 Attainable and Realistic
07:38 Timebound
08:00 When to review goals
08:52 More examples

[navikabansal]

My teachers couldn't explain this in 2 years
Thank you for this

[joellenlange]

Thank you so much, Dr. Maelisa! This series has been very helpful! Thank you for removing the (unnecessary!) 'mystery' from this process!

[kimbecker]

Thanks, Maelisa! You have been SO helpful to me SO many times in the past few years!

[JeanEMacK]

I usually just use a measure, such as the Beck Depression Inventory, to measure progress towards the goal.

[bethjassin]

Thank you so much for this information on treatment plan documentation. This was extremely clear and helpful. I appreciate the ease in which you present this without instilling fear. Ahhhh…I’m feeling better about how I have been documenting:)

[jayd]

Talk to come here because I was thinking about a Smart chart earlier I was doing concerning my attention disorder and my communication disorder.

Despite these disorders I have a lot of ambition I need to make happen. I am putting procrastination on there because it is the mother of all evils when it comes to ADHD. I am 40, single with no kids, so personal fulfillment going to be my goal

[SilHofburgg]

Hi Dr. Melissa is the measurements section, is it possible to use PQ9 results as a symptoms measure? Maybe write from nearly every day to more than half the days? Or a similar version? Thanks so much!

[Growstrong]

Can you give examples of attainable and realistic?

[harveyandveta]

I have to respond to insurance request for records. Regarding progress notes do i need to cite goals for each progress note. if so How do I do it when you sated not to write anything nore than once. i would appreciate your answer.
Mari

[MsJennyrosie]

This was very helpful but I'm still unclear about what is the difference of attainable and realistic in this particular example of depressive symptoms?

[srikothur]

Thanks for teaching me something that my useless supervisor (who is not a therapist or a human with 10% of my education) has been able to explain.

[Thewellcounselingtx]

Where I work we have to have smart goals and then objectives for each smart goal and it gets so confusing

[silasrichardson]

it was very helpful until you got to "attainable and realistic"-I have no clue with what you said to put in those two areas.