Functioning OR NON-Functioning Mental Health and Addiction

Functioning OR NON-Functioning

Treatment Plan vs Function

Yes…labels…we don’t like them, such as are you “Functioning” OR “NON-Functioning?” The “function” term is one some insurance companies use/require that providers use to identify and classify mental health and/or addiction presenting symptoms normally at the time you’re receiving treatment.

Why? Having a level of severity scale is one of many tools used to help place/write/design a treatment plan. I’m sure the insurance companies, Medicaid or Medicare just don’t pay any invoices that say “mental health services provided $500.00”- “please pay now.”

Maybe, it’s the provider’s standard operating procedure (SOP) to check your function. From my experience at CBHC and going over our “treatment plans,” the closest thing we have to a “Functioning” OR “NON-Functioning” falls under the “Snap Shot & Need” of our “Treatment Plan Authorization”. If you’re getting one-on-one treatment, medication management, or other treatment it is my understanding you should have a treatment plan that you authorize. And in this section of the snapshot, your therapist gets to identify yours “Strengths and Abilities.”

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Mental Health and Addiction

Back to the Mental Health Humor Cartoon, the title “Gorski on Charting” is due to that fact that the world renowned author Terence T. Gorski is an internationally recognized expert on substance abuse and mental health. I’ll let you Google him to get the low-down on his work. But I’m sure his books on “Straight Talk About Addiction” could help a few people with mental health and addiction issues here in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda (Charlotte County).

4 Categories of impairments in functioning: 

Normal, Mild, Moderate, or Severe.

1. * Normal Functioning ~ A-Okay – Nothing Wrong With Me!   Score between 7 and 10.
2. * Mild Impairment in Functioning ~ Okay-ish – Nothing Wrong With Me – You’re the Problem, You have always been the problem!!! Get out my Face, you’re a nuisance and YOU ARE getting me… Score between 5 and 7.
3. * Moderate Impairment in Functioning~ Okay? Okay? You call this OK!!! – What’s wrong with ME??? I’ll Tell you what’s wrong with me – NO BETTER YET – I’m PAYING YOU – You tell me what’s wrong with me!!! Oh YA – I am HAVING A problem – I’m about to show you how dysfunctional I am – in spite of all your wonderful therapeutic efforts to help me.  Score between 3 and 5.
4. ***~ Okay I had fun with the above 3, but this one is serious…so, no kidding or joking:

* Severe Impairment in Functioning is rated when the problems or symptoms consistently cause serious dysfunction.  Score between 1 and 3. This also applies when there is suicidal or homicidal risk and/or the general inability to function and care for self.

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