| Course | ADC 665 Advanced Addiction Theories |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Treatment plan |
| Length | About 1,039 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for ADC 665 Module 5
A Plan Built for the Long Run: Treatment Planning for a Chronic Condition
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
ADC 665: Advanced Addiction Theories
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
A Plan Built for the Long Run: Treatment Planning for a Chronic Condition
Curtis has been through treatment twice before. Each time he completed about eight weeks of outpatient groups, was discharged as "successfully completed" and relapsed within two months. His counselor, Renee, now writes a plan intended to break that pattern. Earlier modules covered her alliance with Curtis and how his services were matched to his problems; this one sets out the plan itself. Curtis and the Baton Rouge program are fictional and created for teaching.
Treating a Chronic Condition
McLellan et al. (2000) set addiction beside type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma and found the four conditions alike in how strongly they run in families, how often patients fail to follow their regimens and how often symptoms return. The difference lay in how they were treated. People with the medical conditions were monitored for years and their care adjusted, while people with addiction typically received a few weeks of treatment and a discharge certificate. The authors called for addiction care organized like care for the other three. Curtis's two short episodes, each followed by relapse within two months, are exactly the pattern their argument predicts.
Writing Measurable Goals
Bovend'Eerdt et al. (2009) offered a practical guide to writing goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed, and to goal attainment scaling. In scaling, the counselor and client agree in advance what would count as the expected outcome and what would count as somewhat or much less, and somewhat or much more, than expected. At review, progress on each goal is rated on that five-point scale. The method makes progress comparable across goals and turns review meetings into a check against agreed definitions.
Continuing Care
McKay (2005) looked across controlled studies of care that continued after the first phase of treatment. Two features stood out among the studies with positive results: care lasting at least a year and care in which staff reached out to clients instead of waiting for them to come in. Phone-based follow-up had support in several studies. Because Curtis spends half of each month on a platform in the Gulf, scheduled phone contact suits his life and also has research behind it.
| Problem (Curtis's words) | Goal | Objectives (measurable, dated) | Interventions and provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| "First night home, I drink" | Stay sober through homecoming | No drinking on first three nights home for the next three rotations (by January 15) | Relapse prevention sessions, weekly while home (Renee) |
| "I feel like a stranger at home" | Reconnect with family | Plan each homecoming with Monique by phone; four couple sessions by February 1 | Couple sessions (family counselor) |
| "Can't sleep after a hitch" | Sleep through the first week home | Six or more hours on five of seven nights, by sleep log, within two months | Medical review; sleep hygiene (physician) |
| "Groups don't fit my schedule" | Attend care that fits rotations | Two sessions per home week and one offshore call per rotation for six months | Flexible scheduling (Renee) |
| Past treatment ended at eight weeks | Stay in care for a year | Monthly contact for twelve months after the intensive phase | Telephone continuing care (Renee) |
The Intensive Phase
For the first three months, Curtis attends two individual sessions during each home week, focused on relapse prevention for homecoming, and has one phone check-in during each offshore rotation. Four couple sessions with Monique take place in the first two months. The program physician reviews his sleep and screens for depression in the first month. Curtis keeps a simple log of drinking, sleep and craving, which he brings to each session.
The Continuing Care Phase
From month four to month fifteen, care continues at lower intensity: one session during each home week and a monthly phone call, with Renee calling him rather than waiting for him to call, in line with the outreach finding reported by McKay (2005). If he drinks, the plan steps back up to the intensive schedule for at least one rotation. Discharge is not planned for a fixed date; it will be decided at the twelve-month review based on goal attainment.
Goal Attainment Ratings
For the homecoming goal, the agreed scale runs from drinking on all three first nights (much less than expected), through drinking on one of three (somewhat less), to no drinking on any of the three (expected), no drinking on the first week home (somewhat more) and no drinking across the whole home period (much more). Similar scales were agreed for the other goals. Curtis helped write them, which made the definitions his as well as Renee's.
Review Points
Reviews fall after rotations one, two and three, then at six and twelve months. At each review, Renee and Curtis rate every goal, decide whether objectives need changing and record the decision. Monique is invited to the six-month review.
Why the Plan Differs From Before
Curtis's earlier plans had a single goal, abstinence, and ended at a fixed discharge date. This plan addresses the problems that led to his relapses, measures progress in ways he can see and continues for over a year with outreach. McLellan et al. (2000) argued that judging addiction treatment by whether people stay sober after it ends is like judging diabetes care by blood sugar after insulin stops; the plan is built to avoid that mistake.
If Curtis Drinks
A chronic care plan expects setbacks. If Curtis drinks during a home week, he agrees to tell Renee at their next contact rather than skip it, and the plan returns to the intensive schedule for at least one full rotation. If drinking recurs over two rotations, Renee will discuss adding medication, such as naltrexone, with the program physician, and a higher level of care if needed. None of these steps ends treatment. McLellan et al. (2000) noted that in other chronic illnesses a return of symptoms leads to a change in treatment rather than discharge, and the plan applies the same logic.
Conclusion
McLellan and colleagues showed why addiction calls for chronic care, Bovend'Eerdt and colleagues showed how to write measurable goals and rate them and McKay showed that longer continuing care with outreach helps. Curtis's plan combines these into measurable objectives, a three-month intensive phase and a year of continuing care with active follow-up.
References
Bovend'Eerdt, T. J. H., Botell, R. E., & Wade, D. T. (2009). Writing SMART rehabilitation goals and achieving goal attainment scaling: A practical guide. Clinical Rehabilitation, 23(4), 352-361. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215508101741
McKay, J. R. (2005). Is there a case for extended interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders? Addiction, 100(11), 1594-1610. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01208.x
McLellan, A. T., Lewis, D. C., O'Brien, C. P., & Kleber, H. D. (2000). Drug dependence, a chronic medical illness: Implications for treatment, insurance, and outcomes evaluation. JAMA, 284(13), 1689-1695. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.284.13.1689
Reading the ADC 665 Module 5 assignment instructions
In Module 5, ADC 665 often asks students to write a treatment plan. Treat your Aspen course's Module 5 instructions as the guide; the client here is a composite. List problems identified in assessment, in the client's words where possible. Write a goal for each problem and measurable objectives with dates. Name interventions, who delivers them and how often. Include continuing care beyond the intensive phase. Say which measures will show progress and set the review dates. Support the plan's structure with evidence. References belong in APA 7, and every objective should be something a reviewer could check as met or not met on a stated date. Say how the plan will respond to a lapse.
How this ADC 665 Module 5 example is built
Curtis, the composite client, is forty-one and works offshore rotations; previous treatment ended after eight weeks and relapse followed. McLellan and colleagues compare addiction with other chronic illnesses in relapse rates and adherence, arguing for long-term monitoring. Bovend'Eerdt, Botell and Wade offer a method for writing specific, measurable goals and rating their attainment on a five-point scale. McKay's review of continuing care finds longer interventions and active outreach more effective. A five-row table lists Curtis's problems, goals, objectives and interventions, and the plan adds twelve months of continuing care with phone check-ins and scheduled reviews. The plan also says what happens if Curtis drinks, so that a lapse moves him back up a level of care rather than out of treatment.
Reading the ADC 665 Module 5 grading rubric
A strong treatment plan connects each element to an assessed problem and makes every objective measurable. This example frames addiction as a chronic condition, which justifies continuing care. Goals are written in Curtis's words and objectives in measurable terms with dates. Each intervention names its provider and frequency. The continuing care phase reflects McKay's finding that longer care with outreach works better, and it is scheduled rather than left to the client to request. Review points use goal attainment ratings, so progress can be judged consistently across the year. The plan also handles lapses explicitly, so a return to drinking changes the intensity of care rather than ending it, which is how chronic conditions are managed elsewhere in medicine.
Common ADC 665 Module 5 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Treatment plans often have vague goals ("improve coping") and no objectives a reviewer could check. Write objectives that are specific, measurable and dated. Link each to an assessed problem. Name the provider and frequency for every intervention. Do not stop at discharge; plan continuing care, since relapse is common after short treatment episodes. Put the client's own words into the goals, because a plan the client does not recognize is less likely to be followed. Schedule reviews in advance. Working through one goal with a tutor can make the rest easier to write. Plan for lapses as well; say in advance how the plan will respond, so a relapse leads to more care rather than discharge.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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- ADC 665 Module 7: Ethics in Addiction Practice
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- PAC 201 Module 7: Moral Development
- SBS 105 Module 1: Psychology as a Science
- PAC 310 Module 6: Scope of Practice and Competence
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ADC 665 Module 5 questions, answered
What does ADC 665 Module 5 usually ask for?
Aspen's ADC 665 covers treatment planning in this module, so an individualized plan with measurable goals, objectives, interventions and continuing care is typical. Read your Module 5 prompt for the format required.
Why should addiction treatment plans include continuing care?
McLellan and colleagues showed that addiction resembles other chronic illnesses in relapse and adherence, and McKay found longer continuing care with active outreach more effective.
How do I write measurable treatment goals?
Bovend'Eerdt and colleagues suggest goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed, with a scale for rating how far each is achieved.
Where can I find a free ADC 665 Module 5 sample paper?
The full paper sits on this page: planning principles, a five-row problem and goal table, a continuing care phase and review points.
What is goal attainment scaling?
A method of rating progress on each goal on a five-point scale, from much less than expected to much more than expected, agreed in advance.