Training Your Team: The Importance of Treatment Team Meetings

Before I launch into a discussion of why treatment team meetings are so important, I am going to give you my definition of the treatment team. At Coherence Associates, the treatment team is all of the staff, clinical and support, that allow treatment to occur. Here we generally just refer to them as team meetings.

There are a number of reasons that these team meetings are important, but five of the biggest ones are:

Case Consultation —

Having everybody together to discuss cases, to brainstorm solutions, and to learn from each other, in a confidential environment, gives an opportunity for everyone to continue to grow and learn from each other, and to provide the best possible care to every client. At Coherence, we have found that when there is a problem or question, the best solution is arrived upon collaboratively.

Information Dissemination —

Often times in mental health practices there is a disconnect between the marketing, administrative, operations, and clinical arms of the practice. Having regular team meetings to discuss these aspects of the business, can help everyone understand the other departments, and come together as a whole. When the executive and operations decisions affect the clinicians, it is important for the clinicians to know not only how those decisions will affect them, but also why they are being made.

Community Outreach (Networking) —

Sometimes there are outside groups (treatment programs, other professionals) that want to meet us, see if we would be a good provider to refer to, and if we would be a possible referral source for them. A team meeting, where we meet all together, and learn about each other is efficient and enjoyable.

Clinical and Support Processing —

No matter how long you have been a clinician, or how long you have worked in this field, there will be clients, and their stories, who affect you in greater ways than other clients. Having a space where those counter-transference issues can be brought up safely, and processed with the team, can help the staff overcome these issues, which ultimately enhances the client/therapist relationship It is also an excellent stress management for this unique career.

Staff Unity and Team Building–

Meeting together regularly makes sure that everyone knows each other, and how to work with each other. It also can be used for team building exercises, and can be fun at the same time. Every staff has its unique flavor, and part of that is based upon how these kind of meetings (or lack of them) shape the staff. This shaping starts at the top. When the CEO shows the ways to take risks publically, to process their own clients, to work hard and work together, to be willing to make mistakes and take responsibility for them, the staff is encouraged and supported in doing the same thing. Leading by example has a trickle down effect.

We try our best at Coherence to regularly do each of these things in team meetings, and it has proven invaluable. The number of times the team as a whole has come up with a creative solution to a problem at hand, the number of times that the team has grown closer and shared a few laughs, the number of groups or practitioners that have met the whole team and had a great time doing it, has made the sometimes monotonous nature of regular meetings worth every minute of time spent.

If you would like to know more about how treatment teams can work, or have any insights on how your own work, please feel free to comment below.

Thanks for reading.

Jeremy Larsen
Business Development and Office Manager
Coherence Associates Inc.
www.coherenceassociates.com
(760) 942–8663