Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey, PsyD

Dr. Maelisa McCaffrey is a licensed psychologist, nail design enthusiast, and multi-passionate entrepreneur. Through her business QA Prep, she empowers therapists with trainings and consultation on clinical documentation. Maelisa focuses on the “why” behind the usual recommendations and encourages clinicians to think outside the box, while also keeping their ethics intact. As someone with ADHD who’s had to figure out what works through trial and error, Maelisa aims to make sure her trainings are practical, while also allowing for plenty of laughter and fun.

Progress Notes: Gaining clarity and confidence with practical solutions
Saturday | May 6, 2023
1:30 pm - 3:00pm
(1.5 CEs)

Workshop Description:

Case notes are commonly written in private and hidden away, making the experience confusing and anxiety-provoking for even seasoned therapists. Due to necessary limits to confidentiality, clinicians rarely read one another’s notes. Progress notes tend to be available only at the request of the client or during situations commonly viewed as negative, such as during a board investigation or court proceedings. 

This session will provide direction for writing progress notes based on ethical principles, but also a supportive format for discussing and practicing note writing in real time among colleagues. Most mental health professionals find the exercise of writing notes together to be cathartic and affirming, as well as informative. Attendees will be encouraged to evaluate their client population and modality when considering what best applies to their practice, and to share with one another throughout the workshop so as to establish a standard of care based upon ethical and legal principles.

Learning Objectives:

1. Create a progress note that incorporates applicable ethical guidelines.
2. Evaluate which laws and ethical principles to use in supporting individualized documentation practices.
3. Describe how to incorporate treatment planning and medical necessity into notes, as required.
4. Identify the most common mistakes clinicians make with progress notes and relevant alternative strategies when writing notes.

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