What are the best practices for creating care plans that are inclusive of diverse identities and experiences?

Remember that each client is an individual and approach their care in a personalized manner. No two care plans should be the same. Ask clients for their goals and their priorities. Collaborate with them on how to achieve their goals. Refrain from judgement and assist them by meeting them where they are.

Person led... what do you want when do you want it?... positive risk taking. Liberating dreams and ambitions. Sharing a roof should not be a barrier. Person centred care and planning is a collaboration, dynamic and we as clinicians skilled enablers.

An inclusive care plan will first and foremost need to adhere to ethical practices, especially in applying the 4 box. It will also require holistic assessment and observance of patient's best interest, dignity, values, esp in terms of culture. Care needs to be taken esp with those who are minorities and marginalized to ensure they are given a voice and empowered to make decision that is free from coercion.

The best way is to structure medical services based on nominalized primary care with clear doctor-patient and patient-doctor responsibilities and commitments.

Agree but care plans are for a reason and serve a function too, for all those professionals., statutory and voluntary as well as family supporters who are going to assist the client/ service user/ patient address their assessed needs and risks so as to live a meaningful, safe, as independent as possible and quality life?

Allowing the relationship to be fluid and supporting healthy boundaries from the client as well as all members of the care team. Giving the client full autonomy over their care( with consideration of compliance) is the only way the client will feel connected to the goals and speak openly about them if they need to change things throughout treatment.

Clinicians who demonstrate cultural humility, trust, and respect for their clients are best prepared to collaborate on an achievable treatment plan. Inviting clients to share their hopes and fears about change facilitates developing realistic goals. Fostering intrinsic motivation and personal investment in engaging with meaningful interventions creates accountability and improves outcomes. Monitoring progress is also a process of client engagement and must include asking for feedback, making adjustments in response to feedback, and celebrating achievements.

Listening to the client in regard to their perspective and needs. Involve them in the decision making processes. Share options that your client may not have considered in the past, that could be of benefit. In my experience, a client centered plan has greater opportunity for success.

Care coordination is essential when treating gender diverse clients. I have found it extremely helpful to build a network of LGBTQIA+ affirming peers who specialize in different modalities of care. By developing this network, it allows me to refer and collaborate with providers who I can assure will provide my client with effective care in an LGBTQIA+ affirming setting. Healthcare avoidance due to non-affirming providers is a significant barrier of care to gender diverse individuals. With this fact in mind, I can help assure my clients continue to seek out care by providing them additional safe spaces beyond my office.

Care coordination isn't usually what draws people into the helping professions, yet it contributes significantly to positive outcomes for clients. Developing excellent documentation skills helps with tracking needs and progress which facilitate knowing with whom to collaborate. Understanding what is necessary for a release of information to be legal in your state and what it allows and precludes is vital. Coordinating and collaborating, respectfully and professionally, among a variety of agencies and with a client's personal caregivers or family optimizes resources and improves access to wellness.

I like to use the Circle of Support tool for this, and I've also created a text thread for all the providers/carers, so that communication can occur seamlessly as needed.

Promoting cultural safety and anti-oppression practices is pivotal in crafting an inclusive care planTo support. Educate and train healthcare professionals regularly on these principles. Ensure a diverse healthcare team to enhance cultural competency. Involve clients in decision-making for client-centered care. Periodically assess cultural competency and gather client feedback for improvements. Advocate for policies promoting cultural safety and anti-oppression. Engage with diverse community organizations and leaders to understand unique needs and challenges. These actions establish a healthcare environment that respects cultural differences, dismantles oppressive systems, and champions social justice, ensuring equitable care for all.

Implementing cultural safety and anti-oppression practices are some of the most important actions we can take. Respecting each client's cultural knowledge, wisdom, and traditions is a basic beginning for providing culturally sensitive services. Recognizing the validity of perspectives and beliefs beyond mainstream ideology facilitates collaboration, improves efficacy, and enhances cultural safety. Developing a personal understanding of one's privilege and biases is a requirement for providing services for clients beyond one's demographics. Cultivating a working knowledge of systemic inequities and social injustice fosters cultural humility as well as providing insight into the needs of diverse client populations. The effort is worth it!

Creation of measurable goals with concrete interventions facilitates tracking outcomes. Some are easy to track such as obtaining gainful employment while others are less clear, such as reducing anxiety, improving relationships, or empowerment. Utilizing regular Likert scale surveys creates trackable metrics & evidence of treatment efficacy. Demonstrating treatment efficacy is beneficial for any organization & is empowering for clients to see evidence of change.

Continuous learning is essential to proving LGBTQIA+ affirming care. Most gender affirming care relies on off-label use of medication. To ensure the most up to date, safe, and effective care for these clients, it is our responsibility to continuously seek out opportunities for further education and improved knowledge. Unprepared providers has been sited as a major barrier of care for LGBTQIA+ clients seeking care. By providers seeking out local and virtual opportunities for continued learning, this healthcare disparity can greatly be reduced. Also, by working with local medical and nursing schools, we can help implement the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ specific education into the curriculum, and further reduce this great disparity in care.

Continuous learning is the final step in crafting inclusive care plans. It involves self-reflection, seeking feedback, and ongoing professional development. Addressing gaps and errors, embracing best practices, and adapting to changing client needs are key. It enhances competence, assures quality, and aligns care plans with evolving expectationsFurthermore, addressing any gaps, challenges, or errors in the care plan is part of the learning process. Instead of seeing these as failures, we should view them as opportunities for growth and refinement Continual learning it's about evolving and adapting to better serve our clients.

When creating a care plan, ensure your outcomes and strategies are achievable, based on the clients capabilities and be prepared to amend plans on an ongoing basis as skills and knowledge increase

One thing I teach to ensure care plans are individualized is adding the patient’s name. This helps to add personalization as I continue with the interventions and goals.

In my practise, I have noticed that when we build a therapeutic alliance on the ground of mutual respect, compassion and as equals that allows the client to be feel safe and be open for information. When the case manager provides the client with all that is available for them it empowers the client to decide for themselves and set realistic goals. Which then allows the client and the case manager to develop a tailored care plan with the client in lead.

Client self determination is a principle which I have learned and continue to practice in more than 40 years of psychotherapy with clients