Behavioral Health Notes Template

Last Updated: April 2026

Behavioral health notes templates help clinicians document sessions in behavioral health, substance use, and community mental health settings with structured clinical documentation.

Part of our therapy notes templates collection.

Copy-and-Paste Template

Client Name:
Date:
Session Type:

Primary Diagnosis:

Behavioral Observations:

Mood and Affect:

Symptom Review:

Risk Assessment:

Interventions Used:

Client Response:

Progress Toward Goals:

Medication Review:

Plan:

Example

Behavioral Observations

Client cooperative and engaged. Maintained eye contact. No psychomotor agitation. Speech normal rate and volume.


Symptom Review

Depressive symptoms moderately improved. PHQ-9: 12 (down from 16). Sleep improved. Energy still low. Appetite normalized.


Interventions

Behavioral activation review. Activity scheduling. Psychoeducation about depression maintenance cycle.


Progress

Moderate improvement in depressive symptoms. Client completing scheduled activities 4 of 7 days. Motivation increasing.


Plan

Continue behavioral activation. Increase activity scheduling. Consult with prescriber regarding medication adjustment.

When to Use

  • Outpatient behavioral health

  • Community mental health programs

  • Substance use treatment

  • Psychiatric rehabilitation

  • Intensive outpatient programs

Who Should Use This Template

  • Behavioral health therapists

  • Substance use counselors

  • Community mental health clinicians

  • Psychiatric nurse practitioners

  • Clinical social workers

Why Use This Template

  • Track behavioral changes systematically

  • Document intervention effectiveness

  • Support treatment compliance

  • Maintain behavioral health standards

  • Monitor medication response

Behavioral Health Documentation Focus

  • Observable behavior changes across sessions

  • Specific interventions and techniques used

  • Measurable client responses and outcomes

  • Medication review and side effects

  • Symptom tracking with standardized measures

Best Practices

  • Document behavioral observations specifically

  • Include standardized measures

  • Track medication and side effects

  • Complete risk assessments when indicated

  • Use diagnostic-specific language

Common Mistakes

  • Missing behavioral observations

  • No standardized measure scores

  • Incomplete risk assessment

  • Vague symptom descriptions

  • Not documenting medication review

Related Templates

Therapy Notes TemplatesTherapy Progress Note TemplateTherapy Session Notes TemplateSOAP Notes TemplateDAP Notes TemplateBIRP Notes Template

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Frequently Asked Questions

Behavioral health notes document clinical sessions in behavioral health settings, including symptom tracking, behavioral observations, interventions, and treatment progress.

Behavioral health notes typically include more structured symptom tracking, medication review, and standardized measures compared to general therapy notes.

Notes should include behavioral observations, symptom review, risk assessment, interventions, medication review, progress toward goals, and a treatment plan.

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Templates are provided for educational purposes. Always follow your organization's documentation requirements.