Free DAP Note Template

What is a DAP note?

A DAP note is a condensed progress note format with three sections: Data, Assessment, and Plan. Instead of separating subjective information (what the client said) from objective information (what the clinician observed), DAP combines both into a single Data section, then follows with the clinician's Assessment and Plan. DAP notes are faster to write and faster to read than SOAP notes, making them popular in busy group practices, community mental health clinics, and ongoing therapy where the client's intake history is already documented on file. Many insurance companies accept DAP notes without requiring the SOAP structure. State Medicaid agencies increasingly reimburse DAP format. For clinicians who see established clients in shorter sessions and need to complete documentation quickly without sacrificing content, DAP is often the better choice.

What's in this template

This free DAP note template includes three sections with prompts for comprehensive but efficient documentation:

• Data: Combined section documenting what the client reported (presenting complaint, current stressors, progress toward goals, response to interventions) and what the clinician observed (affect, behavior, mood, functional status, engagement in session)
• Assessment: Diagnostic impression with DSM-5 codes, clinical formulation, progress assessment relative to treatment goals, and response to current treatment
• Plan: Next interventions, homework or behavioral assignments, adjustments to treatment approach, follow-up scheduling, and any referrals or consultations needed

The template is structured for narrative documentation and works equally well for brief ongoing-therapy notes and more detailed assessment updates.

When to use DAP format

DAP notes are most appropriate for:

• Ongoing therapy or counseling with established clients (not intake appointments)
• Group practice settings where efficiency is essential and formatting consistency across providers matters
• Clinics operating under tight time constraints without compromising clinical content
• Any Medicaid-funded program that explicitly accepts or prefers DAP format
• Therapists and counselors who prefer a three-section structure over four
• Behavioral health settings where the intake assessment is already separate documentation

DAP is particularly efficient when documenting sessions that focus on skill review, homework processing, or incremental progress toward existing treatment goals.

How to use the template with Scriber

Scriber generates DAP notes automatically from your session recording. The AI scribe transcribes the session, structures the clinical content into Data, Assessment, and Plan sections, and delivers a draft ready for your review. Because DAP format is more compressed than SOAP, the note generation is typically faster and focuses on the content that matters most for ongoing treatment — what changed this week, how the client is progressing, and what happens next. You review the draft, edit for accuracy and style, and sign without the reconstruction work of starting from blank sections.

Download (free)

This template is available as a PDF and as an editable DOCX file. Customize it with your clinic branding, add any facility-specific fields your EHR requires, and use it across your practice for consistency.

[Download PDF]

Related templates

Looking for other progress note formats?

• SOAP Note Template — Four-section format (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) for more detailed documentation
• BIRP Note Template — Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan format used in community mental health