Counseling Intake Report Writing

This video describes how to write a counseling intake report including components such as presenting problem, biopsychosocial history, cultural background, behavioral observations, risk assessment, diagnosis, case conceptualization, treatment goals, and treatment planning.

[@Ms.Misc.]

Thank you for putting this presentation together. I've been writing intake reports for years but it was so helpful to be reminded of the formal methods. It was also good to be reminded of who sees the intake reports in the future.

[@vidaadansi5633]

This was probably the most useful because it did help me a lot in writing my report, I just kept going back to it but didn't write any comments and do am doing it now. It explained everything very well and I appreciate his Dr. Grande took his time point by point to explain the process o writing a report. This is worth referencing for the future. Thanks Dr. Grande.

[@juliecampana2860]

This was a great video that outlined all of the necessary information that should be obtained during an intake. After watching this, I feel more comfortable about doing an intake assessment. In my intake report project, I forgot to note the client's state of change. This seems to be a very important piece of information when describing a client in a clinical note.

[@suzanneedwards1286]

Julie Campana The video definitely helped me to figure out exactly which information should be included and how detailed it should be

[@vidaadansi5633]

I agree Julie that thus was a great resource for the intake report project.

[@thecorgisquad9861]

I liked how Dr. Grande discussed the importance of making your intake report available to your client, when and if it is necessary or upon their request. It was also a nice reminder of the types of information you may want to include in your report, and that more is not always necessarily better in terms of what you are writing.

[@aliciazahn1718]

I think I've only vaguely thought about who would possibly read this report and the explanation Dr. Grande gives is extremely helpful in putting that into perspective. I like that Dr. Grande mentions putting in the stage of change for addictions or problem behaviors. Although he mentions that it comes from a certain school of thought, it is well-known. I will certainly be watching this video over again while writing my intake report for the upcoming assignment. This was very thorough.

[@reneemendez4287]

+Alicia Zahn I think that this video would be really helpful for the interview assignment because it answers a lot of questions that we might have

[@suzanneedwards1286]

This is a great video for remembering all of the sections that need to be covered in an intake report. Dr. Grande does a great job of detailing the sections and the information that should be included in each section. I also liked the explanation on remembering who the readers of the report will be. It is helpful to think of all of the people that may have access to the report and how they will interpret the information.

[@laurashine7134]

Suzanne Edwards This video broke down with great explination in the intake repot process. Dr. Grande's explantion was quite helpful for me.

[@carolkirby9558]

This is a great video for reviewing all of the sections to be covered in an intake report. Dr. Grande thoroughly details the sections and the information to include in each section. I also appreciate the suggestion about knowing the audience because it's helpful to think of all of the people that access the report and how they will interpret the information.

[@Mjthfdj]

Great video on the intake process. I particularly liked the way the counselor engaged the client. Good work.

[@amandagoodwin9301]

Thank you for posting this! I'm in a master's program for psychology and because the majority of my class is already in internship, they've already learned all this and are already practicing it I feel a bit behind. This is definitely helping me get up to speed!

[@jazzynovy5400]

I am not too familiar with report writing rather I have experience reading them. This video was very helpful with my report project and making sure I included the pertinent information in the report.

[@jacklinskibicki6098]

This video was extremely helpful to review prior to completing my intake report, as it provided step by step instructions for appropriate documentation of an intake interview and report.

[@CandyKaneLane]

+Jacklin Skibicki I agree, being able to utilize this form was definitely helpful for our assignment and for future encounters with clients.

[@robertrobertsjr.2245]

This video has helped me to have a better understanding on how to write a counseling intake report for our class project. The outline was not hard to follow because Dr. G. helped that process by explaining what to do for each section of the intake report. A lot of information, but a good video.

[@monicaperry13]

This video will definitely be helpful when writing my intake report. It is a step by step guide of what needs to be included in each section. It also helped to clarify case conceptualization for me a bit more.

[@caitlinfields3175]

This video was really helpful and thorough on the structure and layout for an intake report. I wish I would've watched this before turning in my assignment! I felt lost writing the report on my own, and this really provided direction on how to write a good intake report. When I wrote my intake report, I just followed the questions from the assignment instead of creating a thorough outline to ensure I covered everything. This will be good to have in the future!

[@andrewlightfoot1560]

This video definitely helped me to write my report. I agree with Dr. Grande when he says that more is not always better, as long reports have a greater chance to be "skimmed" by practitioners.

[@jpincinjr]

Wow! This was thorough. Great explanation of the intake and guidelines on the specific sections. I particularly liked the part about using quotes as opposed to paraphrases. The only way to truly capture the client's words are to use the actual word. Good advice.

[@kelly4321]

This is a very detailed and informative video regarding intake writing. Very helpful, especially for those that are just starting out in the field.

[@heather7927]

This was a helpful video that was useful in assisting with the interview paper. I appreciated the information in this video since this information will be useful in the field. Keeping in mind that the report may be used in court or read by family members was a big take away for me since the report may follow the client. I liked how this report also indicates of answering questions for the clients.

[@angelinastanton7996]

I found this video to be very helpful in teaching me how to properly organize an intake report and for remembering what to include in an intake report.

[@cindyrhodes]

This is GREAT information for students and it gives us insight as to what goes into citations! Thank you!

[@Pixieburglar]

I utilized this video quite a bit as I was writing my intake report for our presentation. It is essential to know the audience that will be reading the report from the client through a supervisor.

[@kimberlykelly386]

+Melissa Clendaniel I agree. It's a little unnerving that the client may read your notes (intake and otherwise). Certainly something to keep in mind!!

[@niktucker5812]

This was a great overview on intake report writing. I like how using the client's own words initially in the presenting problem section was emphasized. I think it makes the report more individualized. I also like how objectives and goals were differentiated.

[@sammiejo6344]

I first watched this video during my lunch break at work, i found myself looking for something to jot down notes on. When it came to writing my report, I found myself referencing back to the video. This is an excellent video to reference to when writing intake report. Dr. G was very detailed and explained multiple areas.

[@danielamoore1412]

A Od I had the video open to review my report and I thought it was helpful as I went over everything I wrote.

[@jessicamcnemar182]

I took a lot of notes from this video!!

[@dawnb.9315]

I agree - it was helpful while writing the report for class.

[@robertrobertsjr.2245]

A Od, I agree that Dr. G was very detailed in explaining each section of the intake report. The video was a good point of reference in writing our intake report.

[@johnharrisjr2808]

This video has very detailed information on how to write the intake report. I will use this information as a resource when I write my intake report

[@laurashine7134]

I found this video very imformative and quite helpful. Up to this point, I had never done an intake report but as I worked through the assignment process this video was a good guide for me.

[@reginaames3038]

This was helpful, I like the clear and concise writing providing only pertinent information since others will be reading this document. I see the value in documenting all presenting problems not just what you the clinician deems important. Though I did well on the intake project I believe I could have done better had I watched this video first.

[@katherinebeck593]

This was helpful for our assignment in class, it is also a great help for the future. There was a lot of good advice captured here.

[@ushalincoln9224]

This video is very informative in how to do the intake Interview and is a great supplement to our book to help me better understand how to write the official report.

[@kendallwilson7319]

This video was very informative and detailed. While I have written some reports for various jobs I have had, I have never had to write this type of report so it is very intimidating. This video does an excellent job at breaking down all of the different sections. I appreciate how in other videos, he has provided practical illustration of information and think that it could have helped explain some of the sections in even more detail than was already provided.

[@genevabarnes7402]

This was a great video to follow along while doing the report. It helped show how any information and data collected is important in writing your report especially since others may use it in making decisions for any client, such as the court system and medical care providers. Great reference video also. I appreciated the in depth information.

[@alexisklair3164]

Very helpful video to serve as a roadmap for what to include in the intake report. I appreciate going into detail on all the items to clarify each item on the outline. There is so much to capture in one intake session, and although i know there are variations on whether you do it all in one session or over the course of the first few sessions, there is a lot to cover and this video was helpful in providing an outline/checklist on what to include. I know in my previous job, although this is a daunting task, it gets easier over time with practice.

[@andrewr6433]

The intricate detail in this video indeed made it helpful. There were some things he said that made me think, wow, I never would've thought of that until I run into a problem.

[@brittanyrio3619]

This video was super helpful for me while writing our intake report for class. The video was detailed, explained every aspect and the point to each part of the intake, and I appreciated that. I kept referring to this video while writing and I will definitely be using this video again in the future.

[@sammiejo6344]

I agree, this video was detailed and easy to understand; it helped me a lot when i was writing my intake report.

[@danielamoore1412]

Brittany Pellegrini Yeah, I think it was helpful and I too referred back to a couple of sections while I was writing my report.

[@angiemorales8481]

Brittany Pellegrini I agree I used this video as an outline for my intake report. It was very helpful to have the different aspects broken down into sections.

[@aud15chou80]

This video is very detailed and a great resource for writing intake reports.

[@amandayarn5160]

Great video full of good info and tips. Looking back on my intake report, this video helped me realize things I did well and things that I may have missed or could improve. Good resource that I am sure Ill come back to use later in practicum/internship.

[@reneemendez4287]

I really thought that this video was informative. I've been really interested in intakes and clinical interviews since we began working on them in class. I liked how Dr. Grande outlined what the intake report should contain. It makes it easier to understand what I need to record and remember. I will be reviewing this video when completing the interview assignment

[@kimberlykelly386]

This will be a great resource when composing future intake reports (at least to be sure that I'm covering the minimum amount of material). I had already done my intake report project prior to this set of videos so I definitely picked up on things I didn't include (pointers regarding pagination, for example). This is really helpful in understanding each topic we're to touch on.

[@chelseydavis4989]

This also brought to light some areas I missed in my project as well! Good thoughts for things to mention moving forward!

[@brittanyvodzak9198]

This video was very helpful in learning how to use an intake form, it helped me with my intake project. I also liked that this video described what should be included in a report and knowing who your audience will be.

[@jazzynovy5400]

+Brittany Vodzak I agree, video was very helpful what should be included and mindful about when writing our report.

[@virginiamurrey9139]

I am currently enrolled in a course where I have to complete an intake report, and this video helps tremendously in knowing what steps to take in completing it correctly.

[@angelinastanton7996]

I agree that this video is very helpful for my understanding of structuring an intake report, and it is helpful in my course as well.

[@ammu9810]

This was a very helpful video for the intake project. There's so much information that's collected, but it was nice to understand the various components. Great video.

[@CandyKaneLane]

This was really helpful in learning how to properly utilize an intake report form. I think letting the client know they have the right to view the form and notes at any time is important, so it is equally important to make sure your notes are legible and appropriate.

[@brittanyvodzak9198]

+Candace Fernandez I agree that it is important to let the client know that they are able to review your notes at any time. I think this adds to the rapport you have with your client, it allows them to trust you.

[@amandagerrick5004]

This video was helpful when completing my intake interview report for class. Going over the sections and what should be in them helped me to organize my writing.

[@veronicabetz9452]

This video was essential when completing my final intake report project.

[@rachelfoster5463]

There is a lot of information in this video, but it is all helpful. I feel like I have a better grasp on how goals and objectives work together in a treatment plan. Good video

[@mandabear52289]

+Rachel Foster I think that this video really helped me to better understand what goes into a good intake report as well. Extremely helpful video!

[@8shelbyg]

One thing I think that can be very helpful, not only when dealing with an addiction problem in intake, but really with any client is, to assess and notate stages of change. Just because the person does not have an addiction does not mean that their change stage is not relevant. Every client that comes to us is looking for change of some sort or else they would not present to us, but whether they realize what it is they need to change and how to do it is a different matter. Therefore I think this is an integral part of the intake interview.

[@janicedixon2051]

This video was helpful while completing my own write-up for Appraisal this semester.

[@andrewr6433]

This was a very detailed and helpful video and probably a good reference tool for when we write intake reports in the future. I like that you mentioned that some requirements will change depending on agency. There are a lot of good details in here though that I don't think were mentioned in the book and one may overlook until it becomes a problem.

[@jessicamcnemar182]

This video clearly outlines all of the things that should be included in the intake report. Boy, there is a lot included!

[@genevabarnes7402]

I agree Jessica, it is a lot of information but also very helpful. These reports will help us as counselors and others who may use them when working with clients. The more in depth the report, the better care we can provide. Great stuff.

[@alexisklair3164]

Jessica McNemar Yes a ton of info! I think this video provides a great shell/outline and i think that when you do it a few times it will become easier with practice. I used to do them in my previous job but not to this great of a detail and I appreciate all the detail in this video which will help hone my skills. But i wish we practiced in class.

[@caitlinfields3175]

There is a lot to cover in this report! However, I am glad this is so detailed because it will help us not to miss crucial information that needs to be documented.

[@juliecampana2860]

Absolutely. I feel like if I had done all of the components and given them the appropriate amount of time, my intake would have taken 2-2.5 hours.

[@lizconnor1820]

I found this video extremely helpful for writing my intake report for class. I only wish I had viewed it before completing my intake interview so I may have included a few details that were missing. Overall, a very valuable resource!

[@alexdeloach6472]

I also found this valuable while writing our intake reports. I also did not watch this before doing my role-play, so this will also help me with my critique.

[@danielamoore1412]

I thought this video helped me "polish" my report. It helped me add some important information I didnt consider to be important, but now I see the importance of documenting everything in detail. I wish Dr. Grande had provided actual samples of some of the sections such as case conceptualization. I have never learned this one before and it is the one I am struggling with the most. But overall I appreciate this video.

[@kendallwilson7319]

I agree, I wish he had more actual examples for the case conceptualization section. I learn much better by having examples to apply the information to and not just a description of what it is. That's one of the parts I really struggle with as well.

[@alexisklair3164]

Daniela Moore I agree. I wish we practiced more on diagnostic impressions and case conceptualization. Especially the narrative format. I have done this in a previous job, but this video went into greater detail on things that I havent included before. This video was a great shell/outline and I appreciate the detail he went into in this video but practice makes a world of difference.

[@amandayarn5160]

I agree. Samples of the case conceptualization would have been helpful for me too. Like you, I struggled with some sections but I found reading through the samples on Blackboard helped me.

[@dawnb.9315]

I have been watching this while writing our intake assessment for class. It has been very helpful to hear each of the sections described. It would have been useful to have an image of an actual sample report to compare to what Dr. Grande was describing. I plan on referring to this during practicum/internship.

[@brittanyrio3619]

Dawn, I agree, it has been very helpful for me as well. Will definitely refer to this again!

[@runner000777]

The counseling intake report writing is very important when conducting a clinical interview. One has to remember the structure of the report and the content that is included in the report. This is an important part of clinical writing to convey the issues presented in a concise manner.

[@tammywitzke6642]

Very helpful video for writing the intake interview.

[@rosasutton7787]

Definitely helped with the intake report writing aspect of our project, but also a useful resource for future reference.

[@angiemorales8481]

I was able to use this video to assist me in writing my intake report. However I am still struggling with the case conceptualization aspect. I understand you stated it answers the "why" and this will be different for different therapeutic practices. But there really does not seem to be a true guideline concerning case conceptualization. Even looking online there was many different methods and rules. Great video and very informative.

[@ammu9810]

Angie, I totally relate to your comment about case conceptualization. Even with this last intake project, I had to use outside resources to help me understand that section.

[@alexisklair3164]

Angie Morales I agree. While this video was a helpful shell or outline for our intake report, I wish we had practice in class, especially with the diagnostic impressions and case conceptualization sections. Luckily i had learned case conceptualization in our humanistic seminar and that helped the most with how to use the diathesis stress model etc plus the specific theoretical orientation. This is definitely something that would be helpful to do examples in class. I used outside resources as well for my project.

[@vidaadansi5633]

That's true Angie. The case Conceptualization is the most technical and difficult but wasn't tackled in detail here. I had yo reference back to humanistic during my intake report. Good point

[@jazzmynmolson307]

I like this video because it helped me understand the components of the intake report. I was not aware that the treatment goals and objectives were viewed separately. I think this video could be improved by showing an intake report being done for a client.

[@aud15chou80]

This video teaches you in great depth how to write an intake report. In addition it also indicates to explain technical terms as the report can be read by family members or by someone who may not understand technical terminology.

[@michellerobinson968]

We should remain aware and mindful that the intake will remain in the client's chart/record and many people will read the intake. With this in mind it is important that we obtain the accurate information needed. There is a lot of information needed and this we give us a better understanding of our clients and provide much needed insight to effectively help the client.

[@bethanyelstrom3566]

+Michelle Robinson It is important to point out that this record will follow the individual and all pertinent information should be captured.

[@runner000777]

+Michelle Robinson Agreed! It is very important to document what we hear and understand about what our clients are telling us.

[@sherrietilghman2745]

We should consider that many other professionals read these reports. it is important for us to interpret or explain the technical terms of the report

[@rachelfoster5463]

+Sherrie Tilghman That is very important. In my job I have to read client files, and it can be confusing when certain acronyms are not explained. It is much easier when things are broken down.

[@bethanyelstrom3566]

Besides just reading the information on the slides, it would have been helpful to see an actual intake report. For me I find a visual to be helpful in understanding the example layout. I did find it very helpful to stress that there may be more than one presenting problem. I can understand the importance of using the client's own words during the intake process.

[@aliciazahn1718]

+Bethany Elstrom That might be a helpful supporting video. Or perhaps Dr. Grande could supply a file that follows this video as an example! Great point.

[@mandabear52289]

I don't think that it can be expressed enough the importance of knowing your potential audience when writing a report. This effects what language you use, and what types of information are more pertinent to include. I don't think I would have thought to include the location of the interview in the report. I think watching this video earlier in the semester would have been helpful for the intake interview assignment. Overall, I found this video to be very helpful and informative.

[@jacklinskibicki6098]

+Mandy Moore I hadn't thought of this until watching the video either, Mandy.

[@sherrieyoung3275]

One thing that I will keep in mind from this video is never use a diagnostic label to identify a client, be mindful that a person with no formal training may be reading the report, and be wise when choosing the structure unless the agency gives you the structure they prefer. I never realized that all the APA and technical format was a part of this report.

[@thecorgisquad9861]

+sherrie tilghman I completely agree with the points you made, especially the fact that there may be any number of people reading these intake reports who have never received any kind of mental health training or sensitivity training. This is a great insight and is also terrifying that people with no mental health background may read and draw conclusions from the information we take down and deem important.

[@michellerobinson968]

+sherrie tilghman I agree we should remain mindful not to label the client; a Borderline versus a client with BPD. We should label the mental illness and not the client.

[@EJRed1973]

no captions. :-(