What are the timelines for preparing and reviewing treatment plans?
A. The Mental Health Act does not specify timelines for making or reviewing treatment plans, although it states that a plan should be reviewed on a regular basis. Given that the purpose of a treatment plan is to improve communication between the treating team and the patient, a treatment plan should be prepared at the earliest time practicable following an admission or the confirmation of an Involuntary Treatment Order. A treatment plan should generally be prepared at the same time a community treatment order (CTO) is made. At this time, the plan will be fairly simple and may only include sufficient information to enable the patient to engage in treatment with a community-based service. Later, the community treating team will develop a more comprehensive plan in collaboration with the patient and family/carers. A treatment plan should be reviewed as often as clinically indicated. Where reasonably practicable, the review of treatment plans should be aligned to existing clinical practice
