For a child 13 years or older, which topics must be included in the initial service plan?

For a child 13 years or older, which topics must be included in the initial service plan?

• A. A plan for independent living
• B. A safety contract
• C. Healthy interpersonal relationships, Healthy boundaries, Pro-social communication skills, Sexually transmitted diseases, and Human reproduction
• D. A schedule for weekly counseling sessions

Answer: (C)

For youth age 13 and older, the initial service plan should address essential knowledge and skills that help them navigate adolescence safely and responsibly. This includes topics about healthy interpersonal relationships, establishing healthy boundaries, pro-social communication skills, and essential sexual health information such as sexually transmitted diseases and human reproduction. Covering these areas up front equips the youth with practical understanding to make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and protect their health and safety as they mature. Other options focus more on planning or logistics rather than the substantive topics the plan must cover. A plan for independent living is important for older youth, but it’s typically addressed as a separate transition or independent living component rather than a required topic in the initial plan. A safety contract is a behavioral tool rather than a mandated content area of the initial service plan. A schedule for weekly counseling sessions is a logistical arrangement, not a content requirement of the initial plan. So the choice that includes healthy relationships, boundaries, communication skills, and sexual health topics is the best answer because it directly outlines the age-appropriate subjects mandated for an older youth’s initial service planning.

For youth age 13 and older, the initial service plan should address essential knowledge and skills that help them navigate adolescence safely and responsibly. This includes topics about healthy interpersonal relationships, establishing healthy boundaries, pro-social communication skills, and essential sexual health information such as sexually transmitted diseases and human reproduction. Covering these areas up front equips the youth with practical understanding to make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and protect their health and safety as they mature.

Other options focus more on planning or logistics rather than the substantive topics the plan must cover. A plan for independent living is important for older youth, but it’s typically addressed as a separate transition or independent living component rather than a required topic in the initial plan. A safety contract is a behavioral tool rather than a mandated content area of the initial service plan. A schedule for weekly counseling sessions is a logistical arrangement, not a content requirement of the initial plan.

So the choice that includes healthy relationships, boundaries, communication skills, and sexual health topics is the best answer because it directly outlines the age-appropriate subjects mandated for an older youth’s initial service planning.