Intake Content

In order to help save time, questions that are a “yes” or “no” (such as the Mental Health History) can simply be answered by checking one of the boxes and leaving the text blank. This type of response is appropriate only for these IOP intake forms, knowing the information will be expanded upon during their intake appointment.

Several of these “yes” or “no” questions address very personal and impactful information. For this reason, it is important to remind the client that information will be expanded upon during their intake appointment.

Here is an example of how to phrase this information:

“For the following questions, we just need a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. During your intake the clinical will ask for further details if needed. I know this may feel unnatural at times due to the nature of these questions, but we want to make sure they are expanded upon when you are in a confirmable, confidential setting with a licensed therapist to properly explore the details of each topic.”

For the short-answer questions, please inform the client that a brief 2-3 sentence overview is all we need at this time. At times, you may find yourself needing to redirect the conversation. You can find example statement of how to do that below:

Examples of how to compassionately redirect the conversation:

“It sounds like that was a really difficult season. I’d encourage you to expand on that during your intake so they have a good understanding of what is bringing you in.”

“I can tell it has taken a lot of strength and bravery to call us today. I’m so glad you did and I’m hopeful this is the first step toward healing. I’m going to keep the information very brief on your paperwork today, but I’d encourage you to expand on these details when you’re in your intake appointment.” 

“I’ll have to keep the information very brief on your paperwork today, but your intake is the perfect place to expand on that further.”

“My heart wants to lean into this topic deeper with you, but it would be more fair to you to hold off until you’re in the confidential and comfortable space of your intake appointment.”