A Clinician's Guide to Writing an Inactive Client Letter.

Save time and write your letter in a manner that allows you to send the same letter to your Client as the GP. Follow these hot tips.

1. Details

Include the details of the number of sessions, presenting issue and your clinical justification for the need to continue treatment. This is useful for the GP to know but it's also very helpful for your client to be reminded. If you set your client up with an understanding that Depression can't be "cured" in three sessions, they'll know that the three they attended wasn't enough for adequate clinical outcomes.

2. Language

Are you actually "Discharging" or "Closing" the client? These terms tend to lead the client to believe when they need a psychologist again, they have to go elsewhere. By using the word "Inactive" the client will know they are still your client. That as a part of the journey (Which you discussed with them in their first session) sometimes calling a time out in therapy is normal. To close a client would indicate that you've handed them over to another clinician. To discharge a client, would indicate they are no longer in need of your services. Want some more tips around language and the client's first session? Check out this post here.

3. Due Diligence

You are required to notify the GP of your clients status in therapy. Whilst the 6th and the 10th session letters are quite pro forma for most psychologists, when you think about leveraging the GP, it's important to remember that the GP can remind the client to go back and see you. If you don't know what's happened with your client then you can't report back to the GP. When sending the letter to the client, you can cc their GP and you have complete transparency with both, your client and the GP, as to what needs to happen next in the client's journey. Want more due diligence ideas? Check out this post here.

Download a free tool here.

#clinicalgovernance #Clientattendance