Free BIRP Note Template

What is a BIRP note?

A BIRP note documents four clinical elements: Behavior, Intervention, Response, and Plan. The format answers a simple but critical question: what did the client do or report, what did the clinician do in response, how did the client respond to that intervention, and what comes next? BIRP is the dominant progress note format in community mental health centers, substance-use-disorder treatment programs, residential treatment facilities, and any organization receiving Medicaid funding. Payers and auditors favor BIRP because the structure makes the causal chain explicit: presenting behavior → intervention applied → observable response → documented follow-up. For community mental health clinicians, BIRP is not optional; it is the format required by most state Medicaid agencies and most funding streams.

What's in this template

This free BIRP note template includes four sections designed for clear, auditable documentation:

• Behavior: Client's presenting concern, reported symptoms, observable behaviors during the session, and any risk factors or barriers to progress
• Intervention: Specific therapeutic techniques, coping skills taught, psychoeducation provided, medication management actions, case management support, or other direct clinical actions taken during the session
• Response: How the client reacted to the intervention, whether they engaged with the technique or skill, barriers to engagement if present, and observable progress or lack thereof
• Plan: Next interventions, follow-up appointments, referrals, coordination with other providers, any crisis planning or safety agreements, and assignments or homework

The template structure ensures that every note documents not just what happened in the session but that an intervention actually occurred and was received.

When to use BIRP format

BIRP notes are required or strongly preferred for:

• Community mental health center documentation (most states)
• Substance-use-disorder treatment and recovery programs
• Any Medicaid-funded behavioral health service
• Crisis intervention and stabilization services
• Residential treatment facilities
• State-funded mental health programs
• Wraparound and case-management services
• Any practice where auditors review notes for evidence of direct intervention and observable client response

BIRP is particularly important for programs where documenting that treatment occurred and that the client engaged is a condition of continued funding.

How to use the template with Scriber

Scriber generates BIRP notes from your session audio. The AI scribe listens to your description of the client's presenting concern and what you did therapeutically, structures that into clear Behavior → Intervention → Response → Plan, and delivers a draft that passes the audit test: it shows intervention occurred, engagement was observable, and you have a documented plan. This is especially valuable in community mental health settings where high caseloads and tight documentation timelines are standard. You record the session, Scriber structures it into BIRP format, you review and edit for accuracy, and the note is ready to sign and submit.

Download (free)

This template is available as a PDF and as an editable DOCX file. It works for one-time crisis sessions, ongoing individual therapy, and group sessions; adapt it to fit your program's specific documentation requirements.

[Download PDF]

Related templates

Looking for other progress note formats?

• SOAP Note Template — Four-section format with more detailed subjective and objective sections
• GIRP Note Template — BIRP variant that explicitly ties each note to treatment-plan goals