Based on the scenario, Larry McCune should undergo trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is because Larry is only struggling to triumph over the destructive effects of previous events. The first event that Larry is struggling with is the accident that he was involved in. Larry is finding it difficult to accept that he will never meet her daughter, who died in the accident that he was involved in. This is because he loved her so much. The second event that Larry is struggling with is a divorce that he went through. The divorce is denying him from meeting his only son, whom he loves so much.
Some of the reasons why trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the right treatment option for Larry McCune include the fact that the symptoms that Larry is displaying developed after he was involved in the accident and also after he had undergone a divorce. If Larry had developed his symptoms without having gone through a life-changing event, this option would have been the first to be ruled out. Larry feels guilty that he is the one who is responsible for her daughter’s death. It is this guilt that is causing so much psychological torture to him.
Larry’s treatment evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the goals and objectives should entail collecting relevant information. Some of the information that will be relevant in this case includes reports on how Larry is faring. If the reports indicate that Larry has been faring well since the administration of the treatment, it will be concluded that the goals and objectives of the treatment plan have been achieved. On the other hand, if it is determined from the reports that Larry is not doing well, it will be concluded that the set goals and objectives have not been achieved.
Other than collecting relevant information, treatment evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the goals and objectives should entail analysis of outcomes. There have been cases where a treatment option has brought a different outcome than the one that was expected. One of the conditions under which this can happen in the case of Larry is if Larry fails to honor the therapist’s instructions. These instructions could be those that are expected of him when he is alone in the house. What normally happens is that therapy options have instructions that must be repeatedly followed so as to replace an unwanted habit.
Making judgments is another important part of Larry’s treatment evaluation, which assesses the effectiveness of the goals and objectives. A therapist can make a judgment by looking at Larry to determine the status of his physical outlook. When using this method, a therapist will need to note Larry’s physical outlook at the time before treatment. This will help him compare his physical looks before and after the treatment. If it is found that Larry is not looking healthy, it will be concluded that more needs to be done. If, however, it will be determined that Larry’s physical outlook is nice, then it will be concluded that he is healthy.
The first step towards the closure of this case is setting goals and objectives. These are the items that will be used to tell whether the treatment option picked was a success or not. The set goals and objectives will be used as a checklist during evaluation. If it is found, for example, that the treatment option achieved the goals and objectives that were set, it will be concluded that the treatment option was successful. It is of great importance to note that it is not possible to achieve all goals and objectives in this case.
After setting goals, the next step should be to gather relevant information. The information in this could entail the perfect ways of administering trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The mental health professional should stop assuming that he or she knows everything regarding the therapy that is yet to be administered. During the collection of the information, vital information may be obtained, which will be used to increase the efficiency of the therapy. What usually happens is that the efficiency of administering a therapy determines the time a patient takes to recover. A less efficient therapy will take long to replace the unwanted habit.
The third step towards the closure of this case is to develop possible treatment options. The purpose of doing this is to ensure that a good decision is made. There have been cases where the option that was initially seen as the most suitable was found to be inappropriate. In order to pick the right option, it will be necessary to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the options identified. The option to be preferred as the best should be one that has few disadvantages and many advantages.
After developing options, the next step should be to pick the best option. The mental health professional who will be administering this therapy should assess the possibility of either combining the therapy and medication or using the therapy alone. What normally happens is that a combination of therapies with medication brings the desired outcome faster. The disadvantage of this is that it might not bring a lasting solution. To put it more simply, the undesired behavior might reoccur. The therapist can, however, choose this option if the therapy will continue after the medication is over.
The fifth step towards the closure of this case is implementing the treatment option. This will start with scheduling a series of activities that Larry will undergo so as to replace the unwanted behavior due to the dreadful events he underwent. It is important to note that an unwanted behavior can only be replaced with a good one. The point here is that it is difficult to end an unwanted behavior.
After implementing the treatment option, the next step should be to monitor and evaluate the treatment option. Monitoring in this case will entail keeping an eye on how Larry is fairing regarding responding to the treatment administered. It will be important to record information during the monitoring exercise. It will be important to sit down and start analyzing the information upon recording information. The information recorded will then be analyzed, and recommendations will be made. Necessary improvements will be made based on the recommendations. To put it in another way, recommendations will be made to make improvements.
The last step towards the end of this case is closing the case. This step will only be taken after confirming beyond reasonable doubt that the problem no longer exists. In order to ascertain that the problem has been solved, it will be necessary to interview Larry to learn how he is faring. During this interview, it will be important to ask similar questions as those that were asked when the mental disorder was being diagnosed. This is because asking different questions will lead to different answers, which will make comparison of previous status and latest status difficult.
References
Brody, D. M. (2012). Techniques in the evaluation and treatment of psychological disorders. The orthopedic clinics of north America, 13(3), 541-558.
Cohen, J. A., Mannarino, A. P., Berliner, L., & Deblinger, E. (2014). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and adolescents: An empirical update. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15(11), 1202-1223.
Summers, N. (2016). Fundamentals of case management practice: Skills for the human services (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning
Vaughan, D. (2017). Theory elaboration: The heuristics of case analysis. What is a case, 173202.
