[humanser] Making client notes and back-to-back sessions

Mon Dec 12 11:51:44 UTC 2016

Hello,
	Interesting that this topic comes up right now. I am writing notes
as we speak. I often have back to back sessions and need to remember to
input my notes. Saturday I had 8 clients back to back. The clients dictate
the necessity of Saturday visits. Many cannot meet during the week and
family sessions are almost always on Saturdays.
	I have a colleague that finishes her notes between sessions. She
does not have the load that I have and she is not blind. She also cuts her
sessions short to accommodate her process.
	I use recordings to assist me. I include the recording note in my
informed consent so that the client is not caught off guard. I also follow
my states requirements for storage of these recordings.
	I hope this is helpful! Now I am back to my notes!

Warmly,

Rev. Michael “Big Dog” Abell

Helping individuals to find their eyes in the dark.

The Family Ministry Counseling and Psychotherapy Services
700 E Jefferson St. Suite 250
Phoenix, Arizona  85034
(602) 253-4084 ext 1

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-----Original Message-----
From: HumanSer [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cheryl Wade
via HumanSer
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2016 5:35 PM
To: Human Services Division Mailing List
Cc: Cheryl Wade
Subject: Re: [humanser] Making client notes and back-to-back sessions

I provide counseling services but, in a hurry like that, I make Braille
notes on my notetaker that are quick and concise and use the words I want to
include in my official notes.  Then I use the Braille notes to make official
notes. I always have Braille files, anyway, so I can easily access
information during counseling interviews without having the client see me
hunched over the computer listening to some headphones. I think the process
is more discrete.

Cheryl Wade, Outpatient Therapist
Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Services
Bay City, MI
On 12/11/2016 5:44 PM, Kaiti Shelton via HumanSer wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Nex semester will be my last for music therapy practicum before my 
> internship.  My professors have done a great job in finding a 
> placement for me that will give me some practice in logistical matters 
> such as transportation before internship, and also in placing me 
> according to my strengths and my expressed preferences for population 
> (children with disabilities).  I will be working under a music 
> therapist who owns her own private practice, and will need to travel 
> to the space she is renting for sessions each week.  I will be working 
> with two clients individually, first a 5 y/o girl with mild-moderate 
> Autism, and then a 7 y/o girl with down syndrome and some additional 
> cognitive and physical delays due to a brain tumor she had removed as 
> an infant.  Both girls are very different and have unique abilities, 
> preferences, and musical skills, and I'm really looking forward to our 
> sessions together.
>
> I'm wondering how those of you who see clients back-to-back chart 
> progress.  The first child I'll be working with has 45 minute 
> sessions, which are paced rather quickly with a lot of different 
> musical interventions used to keep her focused (she's a really sharp 
> thinker, so she's always asking questions/checking things out/moving 
> about the room when she isn't engaged.  A professor and I observed her 
> in a session, and my future supervisor probably used about 20 
> experiences with her in that time.  Some of those songs were sung 
> transitions or directives, but a lot was going on in the session.  The 
> next client has sessions for an hour and 15 minutes, which I have not 
> yet had an opportunity to observe.  I've never had back-to-back 
> sessions before, and found that charting was easier if I did it 
> immediately after practicum sessions.  I will have some time after the 
> sessions to journal and evaluate on the bus ride home, but I'm 
> concerned that especially information about the first session might be 
> lost.  (It's also noteworthy that practicums even at this stage rarely 
> exceed 90 minutes in length, and mine will be 120 minutes a week).
> Are there any tricks or strategies I could quickly employ in the brief 
> time between the departure of my first client and the arrival of my 
> second?  Thanks in advance for ideas.
>

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