| Course | PAC 320 Psychology of Addiction |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Maintenance and relapse prevention paper |
| Length | About 1,051 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 320 Module 6
"I Want to Be Truly Clean": Maintenance Treatment, Tapering Risk and Long-Term Relapse Prevention for a Client on Methadone
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 320: Psychology of Addiction
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
"I Want to Be Truly Clean": Maintenance Treatment, Tapering Risk and Long-Term Relapse Prevention for a Client on Methadone
Terry is forty-seven, a carpenter and the father of a teenage son. Six years ago, after a decade of heroin use that began with pain pills, he started methadone at Cedar Hill Recovery Center's opioid treatment program, at the fictional Asheville center in these papers. He has had no illicit opioid use for over five years, works full time and coaches his son's baseball team. He comes to the clinic each week for his take-home doses. At his last review, he told his counselor that he wants to taper off methadone. "I want to be truly clean," he said. "As long as I'm on this, I'm still an addict." This paper examines the evidence and plans how to respond. Terry and his clinic are made up for this course; the studies behind the advice are not.
Mortality During and After Maintenance Treatment
Sordo et al. (2017) combined cohort studies that followed people with opioid dependence through periods on and off methadone or buprenorphine. All-cause mortality and overdose mortality were much lower while people were in treatment than when they were out of it. Two periods carried particular risk. For methadone, mortality was elevated in the first four weeks after starting treatment, during dose adjustment. And for both medications, mortality rose sharply in the first four weeks after people left treatment, when tolerance had fallen and many returned to opioids. The authors concluded that retaining people in treatment and managing transitions carefully were essential to reducing deaths.
For Terry, this means that the period after a taper ends would be the most dangerous of his recovery, particularly in an era when the opioid supply is contaminated with fentanyl.
How Recovery Changes Over Time
Dennis et al. (2007) followed more than a thousand people with substance use disorders for eight years after treatment, examining how recovery changed with the length of abstinence. The longer people had been abstinent, the more likely they were to stay abstinent over the following year. People in their first year of abstinence had a substantial risk of relapse, while those who had sustained abstinence for several years had a much lower risk. Longer abstinence was also associated with improvements in other areas of life, including employment, housing, mental health and relationships, some of which continued to improve for years.
Terry's five years without illicit opioid use place him in a stable phase of recovery. His job, his role as a father and coach and his years of abstinence are the kinds of improvements Dennis and colleagues associated with durable recovery. These are reasons that a carefully managed taper might succeed, though not guarantees.
Monitoring Recovery Over the Long Term
Scott et al. (2005) tested recovery management checkups for adults who had completed treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to quarterly checkups, in which staff assessed them and, if they had returned to use, linked them back to treatment, or to assessment only. Those receiving checkups returned to treatment sooner after relapse, received more treatment and had fewer days of substance use over two years. The authors argued that monitoring and early reintervention could shorten the cycle of relapse and recovery, much as follow-up care does in other chronic illnesses.
Weighing a Taper
| Condition that makes a taper safer | Terry |
|---|---|
| Long, stable period without illicit opioid use | Yes: more than five years |
| Stable work, housing and relationships | Yes |
| No current co-occurring disorder or untreated pain | Mostly; occasional back pain from carpentry |
| A slow, flexible schedule that can be paused | To be built into the plan |
| Overdose protection and a plan to restart quickly | To be built into the plan |
| Continued counseling and monitoring after the taper | To be built into the plan |
What "Truly Clean" Means to Terry
When his counselor asked what being truly clean would mean, Terry described weekly clinic visits that make him feel watched, a coworker who joked about "the methadone guys" and his worry that his son will someday see him as still dependent. None of these is a medical reason to taper, but all are real costs of staying in treatment, and they deserve attention whatever he decides. Some can be addressed without a taper: Cedar Hill can review whether he qualifies for more take-home doses, and his counselor can help him think about how he would explain his treatment to his son. Others may continue to weigh on him, and they belong in the decision.
A Shared Decision
Terry's goal deserves respect. Many people in long-term recovery wish to end maintenance, and their reasons, including stigma, the burden of clinic visits and a sense of independence, are real. A shared decision approach would give Terry accurate information, including the elevated risk after treatment ends, explore what being truly clean means to him and reach a decision together. His counselor might also gently note that methadone taken as prescribed is treatment, not drug use, and that many people remain on it for life with full, stable lives. Terry may still choose to taper, and the program should support him if he does.
The Plan
If Terry chooses to taper, it will be slow, reducing his dose by small amounts every few weeks, with the option to pause or reverse at any time. He and his wife will be trained in naloxone, and he will carry it. He will continue weekly counseling during the taper and monthly for at least a year after, and Cedar Hill will offer quarterly recovery management checkups for two years after the taper ends. If he experiences strong cravings, persistent withdrawal or any use, he can restart methadone or begin buprenorphine immediately, without a new intake or waiting list. His back pain will be addressed with physical therapy and nonopioid treatment.
Conclusion
Terry wants to end maintenance, and the evidence shows both why his recovery is strong and why the transition carries risk. Sordo and colleagues show that mortality rises sharply after leaving treatment, Dennis, Foss and Scott show that his years of abstinence make recovery more stable and Scott, Dennis and Foss show that regular checkups can bring people back to care quickly. A slow, reversible taper with overdose protection and long-term monitoring respects Terry's goal while protecting his life.
References
Dennis, M. L., Foss, M. A., & Scott, C. K. (2007). An eight-year perspective on the relationship between the duration of abstinence and other aspects of recovery. Evaluation Review, 31(6), 585-612. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X07307771
Scott, C. K., Dennis, M. L., & Foss, M. A. (2005). Utilizing recovery management checkups to shorten the cycle of relapse, treatment reentry, and recovery. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 78(3), 325-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2004.12.005
Sordo, L., Barrio, G., Bravo, M. J., Indave, B. I., Degenhardt, L., Wiessing, L., Ferri, M., & Pastor-Barriuso, R. (2017). Mortality risk during and after opioid substitution treatment: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMJ, 357, j1550. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j1550
What the PAC 320 Module 6 instructions ask for
Maintenance and long-term relapse prevention form the sixth module of PAC 320, and a typical assignment asks you to address how recovery is sustained over years, often through a case involving medication or aftercare. Let the Module 6 wording in your Aspen course guide you; Terry is a composite. Present evidence on maintenance treatment, including risks when it ends. Explain how recovery changes over time. Describe long-term monitoring or recovery management approaches. Respect the client's goals while being honest about risk. Use a shared decision approach. Plan safeguards, and cite every study in APA 7, separating what the evidence shows from what the client values. Say exactly how the client can restart treatment if the taper goes badly.
Inside the PAC 320 Module 6 example
Terry has been stable for six years, works full time and says methadone makes him feel he is still an addict. Sordo and colleagues' BMJ meta-analysis reports mortality during and after methadone and buprenorphine treatment, including high risk in the first weeks after leaving. Dennis, Foss and Scott's Evaluation Review study shows recovery stabilizing with years of abstinence. Scott, Dennis and Foss's Drug and Alcohol Dependence trial shows the value of quarterly checkups. A six-row table lists conditions that make a taper safer, such as stability, supports and a plan to restart. The shared decision plan sets a slow, reversible taper with naloxone, monthly counseling, quarterly checkups for two years and immediate restart if needed.
Reading the PAC 320 Module 6 grading rubric
Maintenance papers earn credit for accurate evidence on risks and benefits, respect for the client's goals and safeguards based on research. This example reports the mortality findings precisely, including the elevated risk after leaving treatment, which is the central safety issue. It treats Terry's wish to taper as legitimate rather than as denial, and uses shared decision making to weigh it. The recovery duration findings explain why his six years matter. Recovery management checkups provide a researched safeguard. The table and plan turn the evidence into concrete conditions, so the decision is neither a refusal nor an unprotected taper. Pain is addressed so it does not undermine the plan.
PAC 320 Module 6 help from the desk
Students often treat maintenance medication as either a crutch to be ended or a requirement to be kept forever. Present the evidence on both benefits and risks, especially the high mortality risk after leaving treatment. Respect the client's values and goals. Use shared decision making rather than directing the outcome. If a taper is chosen, plan it to be slow and reversible, with overdose protection. Describe long-term monitoring, such as recovery management checkups. Explain how recovery changes over years. Avoid stigmatizing language about medication; methadone taken as prescribed is treatment, not use. Name who will be told if the client starts to struggle, with the client's consent.
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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PAC 320 Module 6 questions, answered
What does PAC 320 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 320 covers maintenance and relapse prevention in this module, so a paper on sustaining recovery over years, often involving medication or aftercare, is typical. Check your Module 6 prompt.
Is it risky to stop methadone?
Sordo and colleagues found mortality much lower during methadone treatment and sharply higher in the first weeks after leaving it.
Does recovery get easier over time?
Dennis, Foss and Scott found that the longer people stayed abstinent, the more likely they were to stay abstinent and the better other areas of life became.
Where can I find a free PAC 320 Module 6 sample paper?
The paper above is free: maintenance treatment and long-term relapse prevention for a client on methadone who wants to taper.
What are recovery management checkups?
Regular check-ins, such as quarterly, that assess people after treatment and link them quickly back to care if needed; Scott, Dennis and Foss found they shortened time to reentry.