SMART Goals Mental Health PDF
Click here to learn more about the benefits of utilizing SMART goal plans for improved mental health!
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What are SMART Goals?
SMART goals are specific goals that support an individual in achieving their desired outcomes. SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
You guessed it! An individual designs these goals to encompass a lot of information. SMART goals support individuals in taking pride in their overall goals and as a motivation source for completion. Within the differing SMART goals aspects, individuals can elaborate on the specific reasons they decided on this goal. SMART goals can contribute positively to an individual's daily routine and keep track of their mental health.
You can navigate the Carepatron website to filter through our previous work on SMART goals. In this section, we focus on how SMART goals work to support patients to thrive within their mental health journey, unlock better treatment plans and counseling sessions, and even tackle mental health issues.
Printable SMART Goals Mental Health Template
Download the SMART Goals Mental Health Template to help clients create specific goals to improve their mental health.
Why are SMART Goals important for improving positive mental health?
The reasons for utilizing SMART goals for improving mental health are the same as using them for any aspect of an individual's life! The most important reason is that SMART goals contribute to motivation and resistance to stop working towards goals.
SMART goals allow individuals to become specific with their goals. Getting down to what they want to achieve can help patients design a clear path to stay motivated and determine their ability to make ideas work for them.
Secondly, SMART goals are measurable goals. These goals can be identified in a way that tracks the overall progress. This can support individuals to feel stronger and more motivated to complete tasks associated with their overall goals.
These types of goals are also achievable objectives. It can be difficult when there is too much to focus on or an individual struggles to know what to focus on. It may be helpful for individuals to determine smaller goals that can support an overall goal. This way, individuals may be more inclined to stick with their habits and feel less disappointed if they fail.
The great thing about SMART goals is that they are relevant to an individual. This means that mental health issues can be directly addressed and cared for under SMART goals. Goals determined specifically for the individual can support positive mental health in the idea that patients are working towards personal goals that are important to them.
Finally, SMART goals can positively support mental health as they are time-bound. This can support individuals in knowing whether they are almost reaching their goals or need more time.
Setting Goals for mental health
Setting goals for mental health can improve both sides of the therapeutic relationship. Open goals that encompass a lot of information help with the success of therapy sessions and establish a common understanding of where the patient wants to be within their mental health treatment. Both long-term and short-term goals can be achieved through therapeutic acknowledgment of SMART goals.
How to use this PDF resource
Here at Carepatron, we're dedicated to supporting mental health practitioners in achieving objectives. That's why we have created an easy-to-use worksheet and step-by-step instructions that allow you to give the best instructions to your patients.
Step One: Download the worksheet
You can do this by navigating to the templates page on the Carepatron website. You can download the SMART Goals Mental Health PDF from here and begin using it within your sessions.
Step Two: Fill in the template
You can either work with your client in session to complete this template or give this as a homework task. Depending on how you decide to administer this task, you may need to support your clients in both ways as they fill out the template. It may be appropriate for you to suggest some smart goal examples during this step.
Step Three: Review and adjust
Reviewing and adjusting what your client is working on for their SMART goals is a good idea. Completing a review session can support clients in being honest about their SMART goals and whether or not they are appropriate for their overall mental health goals.
Step Four: Discuss with the patient
Therapy is all about talking! It's good to practice open discussions about SMART goals within the mental health field and how they can benefit the patient's journey. It's also a good idea to discuss how the goal completion is going during upcoming therapy sessions to make sure everything is running smoothly.
SMART Goals Mental Health PDF example (sample)
Carepatron is dedicated to supporting mental health practitioners. That's why we've created a fully completed SMART Goals Mental Health PDF example for your reference.
Download this free Goals Mental Health PDF example here:
Research and evidence supporting goal-setting in mental health
A review completed by Stewart et al. (2022) concluded that goal setting in mental healthcare improves individual outcomes. Goal setting is an incredibly important aspect of the counseling framework that allows both the client and practitioner to communicate overall desired outcomes. Research by Stewart et al. (2022) also supports the idea that future work is needed to understand further the complexity of goal setting within the therapeutic setting.
Why use Carepatron as your therapy software?
Carepatron is the best healthcare OS system you'll find when it comes to your therapy software options. We're right here to support you in thriving in your therapeutic environment by supporting your patients on their mental health journey.
As your therapy software, you can look forward to the many benefits of signing up to our system. We have over 1,000 therapy resources available for you to access and state-of-the-art clinical documentation software that allows you access from your home for a work-from-home balance and securely from the office.
But wait, there's more. Carepatron is not only designed to support your therapy-related work, but We're here to take your mind off those pesky administrative tasks in finance, documentation, and even practice management.
With Carepatron, you can look forward to patient scheduling software that allows you to easily stay on top of appointments and send out appointment reminders. Let Carepatron take care of the admin side of your practice with our medical billing software and patient appointment reminder software.
Signing up has never been easier, so what are you waiting for? Carepatron is designed to support you as a mental health professional. Let us take care of the tasks you despise and get back to the real work you love!
References
Gee. (2023, September 8). Goal-Setting and Focus and Concentration. Medium. https://medium.com/@GreenGeeLu/goal-setting-and-focus-and-concentration-739af27b0761#:~:text=Setting%20goals%20provides%20individuals%20with
Riopel, L. (2019, April 10). Goal Setting in Counseling and Therapy (Incl. Workbooks & Templates). PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-counseling-therapy/#:~:text=Setting%20goals%20can%20also%20give
SMART Goals. (2023). Mind Tools. https://www.mindtools.com/a4wo118/smart-goals
Stewart, V., McMillan, S. S., Hu, J., Ng, R., El-Den, S., O’Reilly, C., & Wheeler, A. J. (2022). Goal Planning in Mental Health Service delivery: a Systematic Integrative Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1057915
Commonly asked questions
Anyone willing to complete this task can utilize this worksheet. It can be beneficial for those who are setting goals within their mental health journey.
It should roughly take 15 to 30 minutes to complete this task. You want to fill out each section thoroughly to get the best outcome.
It pays to check in with your therapist or client about using the SMART goals option during therapy. It can be a beneficial option for you, although it may be helpful later on or down the line in your mental health journey.
