A conceptual model for the instruction and supervision of treatment planning

The process of treatment planning requires the effective application of complex problem-solving skills. The occupational therapy literature has described components of this process and has identified both the difficulty educators have in teaching and the difficulty clinicians have in articulating the process of clinical problem solving. This paper presents a conceptual model of the dynamic process of occupational therapy treatment planning based on the case method of problem solving. An analysis of the process provides a basis for academic and clinical educators to effectively instruct and supervise students in treatment planning. An analysis of critical concepts related to each stage is followed by (a) common clinical errors committed by students and new therapists and (b) suggestions for supervisory approaches specific to errors at each stage.