What is a PIRP note?
Quick answer
A PIRP note is a progress note format that documents a session in four sections: Problem, Intervention, Response and Plan. Problem names the presenting concern addressed in the session, Intervention records what the clinician did about it, Response describes how the client responded, and Plan sets out the next steps. MentalNote drafts PIRP notes from a recorded session for you to review, with a BAA on every plan.
Why the PIRP format exists
PIRP starts with the problem, not with the client's presentation or a long-term goal. That keeps each note tied to the concern on the treatment plan you worked on that day, which helps when a reviewer asks why a session was needed and what it did. It is close to BIRP (which starts with Behavior) and GIRP (which starts with Goals), and many programs treat the three as interchangeable.
When to use PIRP notes (and when not to)
Use PIRP in problem-focused work: brief therapy, community mental health, substance-use treatment and case management, where each contact addresses a named problem on the treatment plan. If your program measures progress against goals, GIRP may fit better. If you want observations and clinical assessment in separate sections, use SOAP. Always use the format your organization or payer expects.
The PIRP note structure
PIRP notes follow a four-part structure: Problem, Intervention, Response, Plan. Each section answers a different clinical question.
Problem
The presenting problem or concern addressed in this session, as the client reported it or as you identified it. Link it to the treatment plan where you can. Example: "Client reports worry about job loss that keeps her awake most nights; treatment plan problem 1, generalized anxiety."
Intervention
What you did to address the problem. Name the technique. Example: "Reviewed worry log; introduced scheduled worry time; practiced cognitive restructuring on the thought 'I will be fired next.'"
Response
How the client responded to your interventions: engagement, insight, skills used, and any stated progress or difficulty. Example: "Client generated two alternative explanations for her manager's email and rated belief in the original thought down from 80% to 40%."
Plan
Next steps. Example: "Continue weekly CBT. Homework: worry time daily at 6pm and thought record twice. Next session in one week."
PIRP note template
Copy this blank template into your record system or word processor and replace each prompt in brackets.
Client: [initials or record number] · Date of service: [date] · Session: [individual, couples, family or group; length; in person or telehealth]
P: Problem
Problem addressed: [the concern worked on today, in the client's words where useful]
Treatment plan link: [problem or objective number]
Current status: [frequency, severity or measures such as PHQ-9 or GAD-7, if given]
Risk screening: [what you asked and how the client answered]
I: Intervention
Interventions used: [name each technique, such as CBT, motivational interviewing or skills practice]
Focus: [how the intervention targeted the problem]
Homework or materials reviewed: [what you went over together]
R: Response
Client response: [engagement, statements, skills demonstrated, change within the session]
Progress: [movement on the problem since the last session, with evidence]
P: Plan
Next session: [date or interval, and focus]
Homework: [between-session tasks]
Referrals or coordination: [who and why]
Treatment plan changes: [if any]
PIRP note examples
Two complete PIRP notes. Both are fictional: the clients, scores and details are invented for teaching. Adapt the structure to your own sessions rather than copying the text.
Example 1: Individual session, work-related anxiety
Scenario (fictional): 50-minute individual outpatient session with an adult client, session 5 of CBT for generalized anxiety.
Problem: Client reports daily worry about losing her job after a reorganization, with sleep onset over an hour on five of seven nights. She checked her work email after 10pm on most nights. GAD-7 = 13, down from 16 at intake. Treatment plan problem 1: generalized anxiety affecting sleep and work. Client denies suicidal ideation when asked.
Intervention: Reviewed the worry log. Introduced scheduled worry time and a cutoff for work email at 8pm. Used cognitive restructuring on the thought "I will be the next one let go", looking at evidence for and against. Practiced paced breathing for two minutes.
Response: Client engaged well and completed the thought record in session. She rated belief in the original thought down from 80% to 40% and said: "I have had two good reviews this year. I forgot that." She was unsure she could keep the email cutoff but agreed to try it.
Plan: Continue weekly CBT. Homework: worry time at 6pm daily, email cutoff at 8pm, and two thought records. Next session in one week: review the sleep and worry logs.
Example 2: Community outpatient session, cannabis use and motivation
Scenario (fictional): 45-minute individual session in a community outpatient program with a young adult client, session 3.
Problem: Client reports daily cannabis use, mostly in the evening, and missing two shifts at work this month after late nights. He says he wants to keep his job. Treatment plan problem 2: substance use affecting employment. Client denies thoughts of harming himself or others.
Intervention: Used motivational interviewing to explore what he values about the job and what he gets from cannabis. Completed a decisional balance together. Discussed a goal of no use on nights before a shift.
Response: Client listed three reasons to cut back and two reasons he feared it. He said: "I do not want to quit, but I do not want to lose this job either." He chose the goal of no use before shift nights.
Plan: Continue weekly sessions. Client to track use and shifts on a calendar. Next session: review the calendar and the goal.
MentalNote drafts PIRP notes in this structure from your recorded session. Check every line against the session and your own observations before you sign.
How MentalNote drafts a PIRP note
The PIRP note generator runs in the MentalNote web app at app.mentalnote.ai. MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan.
- Choose PIRP as the note format. Start a recording and pick PIRP from the Note format menu (SOAP is the default). Choose In the room or Telehealth call and confirm you have your client's consent. The first time, you accept the Business Associate Agreement in the app.
- Record, then generate. When the session ends, stop the recording and generate the note. MentalNote transcribes the audio and drafts the Problem, Intervention, Response and Plan sections. Nothing is transcribed live during the session.
- Check it against the transcript. The transcript is labeled by speaker. Labels are generic, so confirm who is who. Correct anything that's off and add what the recording couldn't capture, such as observations you didn't say aloud.
- Refine with Edit with AI. Ask for changes like "Make it more concise" or "More clinical language". It only makes changes the transcript or your note supports, and you accept or discard each one.
- Copy or print. Copy the whole note or one section, with formatting or as plain text, or print it and save a PDF. Then paste it into your record system.
Prefer to type? Choose Write a note and pick PIRP, and the editor starts with the Problem, Intervention, Response and Plan headings. Working in Microsoft Word? The MentalNote Word add-in drafts a PIRP note from a session summary you type or paste when you ask for the PIRP format.
See a MentalNote draft before you sign up
Open the fictional sample session and edit, copy or print a prepared SOAP, DAP or BIRP note. No account needed. PIRP is in the Note format menu once you sign up free.
Try it with a sample session, no signupReady for your own sessions? Sign up free: 5 web-app scribe sessions a month, no credit card. Premium is $99/month or $990/year.
Frequently asked questions
What is a PIRP note?
A PIRP note is a progress note format that documents a session in four sections: Problem, Intervention, Response and Plan. It records the concern you worked on, what you did, how the client responded and the next steps.
Can MentalNote write PIRP notes?
Yes. PIRP is one of the note formats in the MentalNote web app. Choose it in the Note format menu before you record, or when you write a note yourself. The Word add-in also drafts a PIRP note from a typed or pasted summary when you ask for the format.
Can I try it without signing up?
Yes, with a prepared sample. The sample session at app.mentalnote.ai/try opens a fictional encounter with SOAP, DAP and BIRP drafts to edit, copy or print, with no account. It does not include PIRP, record audio or run the live AI model. Sign up free to draft PIRP notes from your own sessions.
What is the difference between PIRP, BIRP and GIRP?
All three end with Intervention, Response and Plan. PIRP opens with the Problem addressed, BIRP with the client's Behavior and presentation, and GIRP with the treatment Goals. Use the one your organization or payer expects.
Is PIRP accepted by insurance?
PIRP is an established progress note format, close to BIRP and GIRP. Payers, Medicaid programs and accrediting bodies can set their own documentation requirements, so check them before you standardize on any format.
What is the difference between a PIRP note and a psychotherapy note?
A PIRP note is a progress note and belongs in the client's clinical record. Psychotherapy notes are a clinician's separate process notes with extra protection under HIPAA: disclosing them generally requires the client's specific authorization under 45 CFR 164.508(a)(2). Keep them separate from progress notes.
Is MentalNote HIPAA-compliant?
Yes. MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan, including the free plan. You accept the Business Associate Agreement in the app before your first session.
How much does MentalNote cost?
The free plan includes 5 web-app scribe sessions a month, with no credit card. Premium is $99/month or $990/year. A BAA is included on every plan.
Related generators and guides
- BIRP note generator: Behavior, Intervention, Response and Plan, with a template and examples.
- GIRP notes: Goals, Intervention, Response and Plan, for goal-focused programs.
- SIRP notes: Situation, Intervention, Response and Plan, for crisis and case-management contacts.
- AI SOAP note generator: draft Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan from a recorded session.
- DAP note generator: Data, Assessment and Plan, with a template and examples.
- AI therapy notes: how MentalNote handles every note format in one workflow.
Further Reading
- APA Record-Keeping Guidelines: national standards for psychologists’ clinical records.
- HIPAA Privacy Rule: federal rules on progress notes and psychotherapy notes.