| Course | PAC 499 Senior Capstone |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Capstone proposal |
| Length | About 1,112 words, 7 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 499 Module 1
The First Thirty Days: A Capstone Proposal to Test a Peer Welcome Call for New Clients at an Outpatient Program
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 499: Senior Capstone
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
The First Thirty Days: A Capstone Proposal to Test a Peer Welcome Call for New Clients at an Outpatient Program
Jordan is a senior in Aspen University's addiction studies program, completing an internship at Bluegrass Recovery Services, an invented outpatient program in Lexington, Kentucky, that admits about twenty-five new clients a month. In the second week of the internship, while helping the intake coordinator update records, Jordan noticed something in the spreadsheet: of the one hundred forty-eight clients admitted in the first six months of the year, only seventy-seven were still attending thirty days later. Nearly half had stopped coming within the first month, many after one or two visits. That observation became the starting point for this capstone. Jordan, the program and its spreadsheet are invented for this course; the dropout research is not.
Three Candidate Topics
Before settling on early dropout, Jordan considered three topics with the site supervisor.
| Topic | Importance | Feasibility at the site | Fit with coursework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early dropout in the first thirty days | High: nearly half of clients leave | High: data already collected; supervisor supportive | Helping skills, group therapy, assessment |
| Waiting times for medication appointments | High: clients wait up to three weeks | Moderate: depends on a prescriber the site is recruiting | Psychopharmacology, policy |
| Family involvement in treatment | Moderate: few families involved | Low: would require new programming beyond the capstone period | Families and health psychology |
Why Early Dropout Matters
Stark (1992) reviewed research on dropout from substance abuse treatment and found it to be one of the most persistent problems facing the field. Large proportions of clients left treatment early, many within the first month, and dropout was associated with poorer outcomes. Stark reviewed factors associated with dropout and interventions that seemed to reduce it, including shortening the time between first contact and intake, orientation that prepared clients for treatment and reminders and personal contact in the early weeks.
Brorson et al. (2013) systematically reviewed later research on risk factors for dropout. Across many studies, only a few factors predicted dropout consistently: younger age, cognitive difficulties, personality disorders and a weak alliance with the treatment provider. Many factors once assumed important, such as gender or the substance used, were not consistent predictors. The authors suggested that the relationship between clients and programs, which programs can influence, deserves particular attention.
Simpson et al. (1997) used data from a large national study of drug abuse treatment to examine the relationship between retention and outcomes. Clients who stayed in treatment longer had better outcomes at follow-up, including less drug use and fewer arrests, and the authors identified minimum lengths of stay, such as about ninety days in outpatient treatment, associated with better results. Early dropout, in this light, means that many clients leave before treatment has a chance to work.
The Proposed Project
Jordan proposes to test a simple change at Bluegrass: a welcome call from a peer recovery specialist within twenty-four hours of each new client's intake. The call would welcome the client, answer practical questions about the first group and the building, share briefly what the first weeks were like for the peer and confirm the next appointment. The rationale draws on Brorson and colleagues' finding about the alliance and on Stark's review of personal contact: if early dropout reflects, in part, a weak connection to the program, a call from someone who has been where the client is might strengthen that connection at the moment it is most fragile.
The project will compare thirty-day retention for clients admitted during a three-month pilot with retention in the prior six months, using the site's existing records, and will gather clients' and peers' views through brief interviews.
What the Site Already Knows
Before proposing the call, Jordan asked staff why they thought clients left. Counselors offered several explanations: clients who come because of a court order and lose interest once paperwork is filed, clients who relapse in the first week and are too ashamed to return, clients overwhelmed by a first group full of strangers and clients who simply cannot get to the building because of work or transportation. The intake coordinator added that many clients never return a phone call from the front desk but often answer when a peer calls. These views are not data, yet they agree with Brorson and colleagues' review: some causes of dropout lie outside the program's control, while the early connection between client and program is something staff can change.
Why a Peer
Bluegrass already employs three peer recovery specialists, people in long-term recovery who hold state certification and lead support groups. Using them for the welcome call costs little and draws on what they offer that counselors cannot: the credibility of someone who has walked into a program frightened and stayed. A call from a counselor might feel like another appointment reminder; a call from a peer might feel like an invitation. Whether that difference matters for retention is the question the project will test.
Risks to the Plan
The plan has weak points. Peers may not reach clients who give wrong phone numbers or who do not answer unknown calls. The pilot period may be too short to show a clear difference. Other changes at the site, such as a new counselor or a holiday season, could affect retention. Jordan will track how many clients are reached, keep notes on anything else that changes at the site and treat the results as a first test rather than proof.
Feasibility
The site supervisor approved the project and arranged for the program's three peer recovery specialists to participate. The intake coordinator will continue tracking attendance as usual. Because the project involves interviews with clients, Jordan will seek review under Aspen's and the site's procedures before collecting any interview data. The project fits within the capstone's timeline: planning in the first modules, the pilot running alongside the middle modules and analysis and reporting at the end.
Next Steps
In the coming modules, Jordan will write a problem statement and research questions, review the literature on dropout and on peer support, design the method and evaluation plan, carry out the pilot and gather data, analyze the results, develop recommendations for the site and write the final report.
Conclusion
Nearly half of Bluegrass's new clients leave within thirty days, a pattern Stark identified as among the most persistent problems in addiction treatment. Brorson and colleagues point to the early relationship with the program as a factor programs can influence, and Simpson, Joe and Brown show that staying longer leads to better outcomes. A peer welcome call within twenty-four hours of intake is a feasible, research-informed way to test whether a stronger early connection keeps more clients in treatment.
References
Brorson, H. H., Ajo Arnevik, E., Rand-Hendriksen, K., & Duckert, F. (2013). Drop-out from addiction treatment: A systematic review of risk factors. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1010-1024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.07.007
Simpson, D. D., Joe, G. W., & Brown, B. S. (1997). Treatment retention and follow-up outcomes in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 11(4), 294-307. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-164X.11.4.294
Stark, M. J. (1992). Dropping out of substance abuse treatment: A clinically oriented review. Clinical Psychology Review, 12(1), 93-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7358(92)90092-M
What the PAC 499 Module 1 instructions ask for
The first module of PAC 499 centers on picking the capstone subject and drafting a short proposal that shows the topic matters, is feasible and draws on your coursework. Your Aspen course's Module 1 prompt is the authority; the site and student here are invented. Describe the setting and the problem you noticed, with data if available. Compare candidate topics on importance, feasibility and fit with your learning. Show with research why the chosen problem matters. State the project's aim and approach briefly. Confirm feasibility with your site supervisor. Plan the next steps and cite every source in APA 7. Name what could go wrong and how you would adjust. Explain how the project draws on courses you have already taken.
How the PAC 499 Module 1 example is put together
Jordan notices that the intake coordinator's spreadsheet shows only about half of new clients still attending at thirty days. A three-row table weighs three topics: early dropout, waiting times for medication appointments and family involvement. Stark's Clinical Psychology Review article shows early dropout's size and persistence. Brorson and colleagues' systematic review in the same journal identifies risk factors, including a weak early alliance. Simpson, Joe and Brown's Psychology of Addictive Behaviors study shows that retention predicts outcomes. The proposal tests a peer welcome call within twenty-four hours of intake, with the site supervisor's approval, a plan for ethics review of interviews and a timeline for the coming modules.
Where the marks sit in the PAC 499 Module 1 rubric
Capstone proposals earn credit for an important, feasible topic grounded in research and in the student's setting. This example begins with the site's own data, which makes the problem concrete. The topic comparison shows deliberate choice rather than the first idea. The research establishes why early dropout matters, not just that it occurs. The proposed intervention connects to a known risk factor, the weak early relationship with the program, which gives it a rationale. Feasibility is addressed with the supervisor's approval and realistic scope, and the timeline maps the remaining modules so the reader can see the whole project. Risks to the plan are named in advance.
PAC 499 Module 1 help from the desk
Capstone proposals often choose a topic too broad to complete, such as solving addiction in rural communities. Narrow to a problem you can study at your site in the time available. Use local data where possible. Compare more than one topic. Show with research why the problem matters. Propose something you can actually do, with your supervisor's approval. Plan ethics review if you will collect data from clients. Connect the topic to your coursework. Leave room for the project to change as you learn; a proposal is a plan, not a promise, and naming what could go wrong shows readiness rather than weakness. Ask your supervisor what data already exist.
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 499 Module 1 questions, answered
What does PAC 499 Module 1 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 499 begins with choosing a capstone topic and writing the proposal, so a short proposal showing the topic matters and is feasible is typical. Read your Module 1 prompt.
How common is early dropout from addiction treatment?
Stark's review found early dropout one of the most persistent problems in addiction treatment, with many clients leaving in the first weeks.
Does staying in treatment longer matter?
Simpson, Joe and Brown found that longer retention in treatment was associated with better outcomes at follow-up.
Where can I find a free PAC 499 Module 1 sample paper?
It is all above: a capstone topic choice and proposal to test a peer welcome call for new clients, with a topic comparison table.
What predicts dropout from addiction treatment?
Brorson and colleagues found few consistent predictors, among them younger age, cognitive difficulties, personality disorders and a weak relationship with the treatment provider.