| Course | PAC 320 Psychology of Addiction |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 8 |
| Paper type | Adolescent and recovery support paper |
| Length | About 1,055 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 8
Not a Small Adult: Treatment for an Adolescent Cannabis User and Peer Recovery Support at a Treatment Center
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 320: Psychology of Addiction
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Not a Small Adult: Treatment for an Adolescent Cannabis User and Peer Recovery Support at a Treatment Center
Two developments at Cedar Hill, this course's fictional treatment center, call for attention to special populations. Jordan, sixteen, was referred by his high school after being caught with cannabis for the second time. He uses daily, is failing two classes and argues constantly with his mother, a single parent who works nights. At the same time, Cedar Hill has received a grant to hire three people in long-term recovery as peer recovery specialists. This paper applies research to both. Jordan, his mother and the grant are invented for this assignment, while the trials and reviews it relies on are real.
Why Adolescents Need Adapted Treatment
Adolescents differ from adults in ways that matter for treatment. Their brains, especially the systems governing judgment and impulse control, are still developing. They live with families who strongly influence their behavior and who hold legal authority over them. Their peer groups shape use more powerfully than adults' do. Many do not see their use as a problem, and most are referred by parents, schools or courts. And their use is often shorter in duration and less physically dependent than that of adults in treatment. Treatment designed for adults, such as lecture-based groups or long residential stays, often fits adolescents poorly.
Comparing Adolescent Treatments
Dennis et al. (2004) reported the Cannabis Youth Treatment trials, which randomly assigned about six hundred adolescents with cannabis use disorders to five brief outpatient treatments: a five-session combination of motivational enhancement and cognitive behavioral therapy, a twelve-session version of the same, that version plus a family support network, the adolescent community reinforcement approach and multidimensional family therapy. All five produced significant reductions in cannabis use and related problems, and outcomes were broadly similar across treatments. The treatments differed in cost-effectiveness, with the briefer and simpler approaches generally less expensive per day of abstinence. Many adolescents continued to have problems at follow-up, suggesting a need for continuing care.
Liddle et al. (2008) compared multidimensional family therapy with individual cognitive behavior therapy for adolescents aged twelve to seventeen with substance use problems. Both reduced drug use. But adolescents receiving family therapy continued to improve after treatment ended, while those receiving individual therapy tended to level off or lose ground, so that family therapy's effects were more durable at twelve months. Multidimensional family therapy works with the adolescent, the parents and the family together, and with schools and other systems in the teen's life.
Jordan's Mother
Jordan's mother is central to his treatment, and she is struggling. She works nights as a nursing assistant, sleeps while Jordan is at school and has had little energy to monitor where he goes in the afternoons. She has tried taking his phone and grounding him, which led to shouting and once to Jordan leaving the house overnight. She feels she has failed. Family-based approaches treat parents as partners rather than as causes, and they work on concrete parenting skills, such as monitoring, setting consistent rules and repairing the relationship, that research links to adolescents' substance use. They also give parents support of their own, which Jordan's mother needs as much as he needs treatment.
Mutual Help and Continuing Care for Teens
Kelly et al. (2000) followed adolescents after inpatient treatment for substance use. Those who attended twelve-step meetings in the months after treatment had better substance use outcomes, and the benefit appeared to work partly through motivation. The study suggested that mutual help can support adolescents, though teens often find adult meetings unwelcoming and do better with groups that include peers their age.
Adapting Approaches for Adolescents
| Adult approach | Adolescent adaptation | For Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| Individual counseling focused on the client | Family-based therapy including parents | Multidimensional family therapy with Jordan and his mother |
| Client-initiated treatment | Engaging teens referred by others, with motivational methods | Start with Jordan's own goals, such as passing his classes |
| Adult mutual help groups | Youth recovery groups and peer activities | A teen recovery group at Cedar Hill |
| Confidentiality between client and counselor | Confidentiality balanced with parental rights and safety | Explain clearly what his mother will and will not be told |
| Employment as a recovery support | School engagement as a recovery support | Coordination with his school counselor |
| Long residential stays | Brief outpatient care with continuing care | Twelve weeks, then a youth group and monthly check-ins |
Jordan's Plan
Jordan will receive multidimensional family therapy with his mother, scheduled on her days off, addressing their conflict, her monitoring of his whereabouts and his school failure. His therapist will coordinate with his school counselor. Individual sessions will use motivational methods, starting with his goal of passing his classes and getting his driver's license. After twelve weeks, he will be invited to Cedar Hill's teen recovery group and receive monthly check-ins for six months.
Peer Recovery Support
Bassuk et al. (2016) systematically reviewed research on peer-delivered recovery support services for addictions in the United States, in which people in recovery provide mentoring, coaching, advocacy and connection to resources. Studies found peer support associated with reduced substance use, better relationships with treatment providers, improved retention in treatment and greater satisfaction. But many studies had weak designs, small samples or no comparison groups, so the evidence was promising rather than definitive.
The Peer Program Plan
Cedar Hill's three peer specialists will help clients connect to recovery resources, accompany them to first mutual help meetings and stay in touch after discharge. One will work with the teen group alongside a counselor. All three will complete state peer certification training, receive weekly supervision, follow clear boundaries about their roles and have support for their own recovery. Because the evidence is still developing, Cedar Hill will evaluate the program by comparing treatment retention and readmission for clients who work with peers with those of clients who do not.
Conclusion
Adolescents and people in recovery require approaches designed for them. Dennis and colleagues show that several brief treatments help adolescents, Liddle and colleagues show that family therapy's effects last longer and Kelly, Myers and Brown show that continuing peer connection supports teens after treatment. Bassuk and colleagues show that peer recovery support is promising but needs evaluation. For Jordan, the plan centers on his family and his own goals; for the peer program, it builds in training, supervision and measurement from the start.
References
Bassuk, E. L., Hanson, J., Greene, R. N., Richard, M., & Laudet, A. (2016). Peer-delivered recovery support services for addictions in the United States: A systematic review. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 63, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2016.01.003
Dennis, M., Godley, S. H., Diamond, G., Tims, F. M., Babor, T., Donaldson, J., Liddle, H., Titus, J. C., Kaminer, Y., Webb, C., Hamilton, N., & Funk, R. (2004). The Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) Study: Main findings from two randomized trials. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 27(3), 197-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2003.09.005
Kelly, J. F., Myers, M. G., & Brown, S. A. (2000). A multivariate process model of adolescent 12-step attendance and substance use outcome following inpatient treatment. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 14(4), 376-389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-164X.14.4.376
Liddle, H. A., Dakof, G. A., Turner, R. M., Henderson, C. E., & Greenbaum, P. E. (2008). Treating adolescent drug abuse: A randomized trial comparing multidimensional family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. Addiction, 103(10), 1660-1670. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02274.x
What the PAC 320 Module 8 instructions ask for
The final module of PAC 320 covers special populations, and a typical assignment asks how treatment must change for adolescents or how people in recovery can support others, using research. Follow the Module 8 page in your Aspen course; Jordan and the program are invented. Explain why adolescents need adapted treatment. Present trial evidence for adolescent approaches, including family-based ones. Address continuing care and mutual help for teens. Present evidence on peer recovery support with its limits. Apply the research to a specific adolescent and a specific program. Cite each trial in APA 7, and address consent and confidentiality for minors. Plan supervision for any peer staff, and an evaluation for any new program.
Inside the PAC 320 Module 8 example
Jordan uses cannabis daily, is failing two classes and argues with his mother. Dennis and colleagues' Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment report on the Cannabis Youth Treatment trials compares five approaches. Liddle and colleagues' Addiction trial compares multidimensional family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. Kelly, Myers and Brown's Psychology of Addictive Behaviors study links teen twelve-step attendance to outcomes. A six-row table adapts adult approaches for adolescents. Bassuk and colleagues' Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment review supports peer recovery services while noting weak study designs. Jordan's plan uses family therapy and a youth recovery group; the peer program plan includes certification, weekly supervision, boundaries and an evaluation comparing retention.
Where the marks sit in the PAC 320 Module 8 rubric
Special populations papers earn credit for explaining why adaptation is needed, reporting trial evidence accurately and applying it to real cases. This example reports that several adolescent approaches worked similarly, avoiding the claim that one is best, and then uses Liddle and colleagues to justify family therapy for Jordan, whose family conflict is central. The table makes adaptation concrete, row by row. The peer support review is reported with its limits, which keeps the program plan honest. The closing plans show how research guides both an individual case and a program decision, and they include a way to evaluate the new program. Confidentiality for a minor is explained to both Jordan and his mother.
PAC 320 Module 8 help: mistakes that cost marks
Students often apply adult treatment to adolescents without adjustment. Explain developmental differences and adapt. Another weakness is claiming one adolescent treatment is best; trials often find several work similarly. Include families, since they are central for most teens. Address continuing care and peer connections, which matter in adolescence. Report evidence on peer support honestly, including weak designs. Address confidentiality and consent for minors. Plan supervision and boundaries for peer specialists. Evaluate new programs from the start, with a comparison group if possible. Keep the adolescent's own goals visible, since a teen who feels the plan is only his parents' will rarely engage. Coordinate with the school when the teen agrees.
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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.
More PAC 320 and Psychology and Addiction Studies sample papers
- PAC 320 Module 1: The History and Theory of Addiction
- PAC 320 Module 2: Research on the Causes and Course of Addiction
- PAC 320 Module 3: Assessment Tools
- PAC 320 Module 4: Outpatient Treatment
- PAC 320 Module 5: Inpatient and Residential Treatment
- PAC 320 Module 6: Maintenance and Relapse Prevention
- PAC 320 Module 7: Couples and Families
- PAC 230 Module 6: Substance Use as a Health Behavior
- SBS 105 Module 6: Development, Motivation and Emotion
- PAC 310 Module 5: Boundaries and Dual Relationships
- PAC 102 Module 8: A Community Plan for Students in Recovery
PAC 320 Module 8 questions, answered
What does PAC 320 Module 8 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 320 ends with children, adolescents and people in recovery, so a paper on adapting treatment for teens or on recovery support is typical. Consult your Module 8 prompt.
What works for teenagers who use cannabis?
Dennis and colleagues found five brief outpatient approaches, including motivational, cognitive behavioral and family-based treatments, similarly effective.
Is family therapy effective for adolescent drug use?
Liddle and colleagues found multidimensional family therapy's effects on drug use lasted longer than those of individual cognitive behavior therapy.
Where can I find a free PAC 320 Module 8 sample paper?
Read the full paper here: treatment for an adolescent cannabis user and a peer recovery support program, with an adaptation table.
Do peer recovery specialists help?
Bassuk and colleagues found peer support associated with reduced substance use and better engagement, though many studies had weak designs.