Can some one help me

COU3355 SUBSTANCE ABUSE “Theory to Practice” RESEARCH PAPER

INSTRUCTIONS

For this assignment, you must submit a WELL-WRITTEN and WELL-RESEARCHED paper on one of the

topics below. It must be in proper APA format, and submitted as a Word Document in Blackboard.

You will NOT want to wait until the last minute to work on this as you will have to include interview

and/or visits to treatment centers, and that will be difficult to do the last week without planning

ahead.

The paper must be at least 5 pages in the body of your paper, but avoid those longer than 8 pages (do

not count title, reference, appendix, etc.). Good content is preferable to “fluff” to make it longer.

It must include a variety of perspectives (don’t just support one - but consider two or more, even if

you choose one to support), and include Christian perspectives and scriptural considerations in your

paper.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS/TREATMENTS FOR YOUR PAPER

1. 12-STEP PROGRAM: Visit a 12 –step program meeting such as Alcoholics Anonymous or

Celebrate Recovery. Most of these are open meetings, but you may want to tell the leaders you

are there for a class project to see how their process works. Interview one or more of the

leaders, and even some of the attendant if they are willing. If not, you can base your

information on what you observe and casual interactions with the people attending. Inquire

how their program works or doesn’t work better than others. Ask questions such as whether

maintenance is the goal, or complete healing and what they means. Perhaps ask how many

replace their drug of choice with another (such as tobacco – or other addiction such as porn,

workaholic, etc.) and what that means to recovery. Think of any other questions you want to

ask that will help you with your paper, and you may want to do the research portion of your

paper first to guide your questions. Be sure to be VERY respectful of the attendants’ privacy and

their perspectives, even if you disagree with any. Your paper SHOULD NOT name anyone by

name. Just use synonyms or something such as “Person 1, Person 2; Leader 1” etc. Be sure to

let them know they will not be identified in any way.

2. LEGAL OR SOCIAL: Interview an attorney familiar with substance abuse in the courts (e.g.

District Attorney, Defense Attorney), a Human Resource Office, Politician or Law Maker familiar

with substance abuse laws, Judge, or Social Worker who works with substance abuse or

otherwise familiar with it. For this option, you may want to research laws and policies related to

legal and social aspects of substance abuse and use what you learn to guide your interview with

the person. Get their perspectives, what works, what doesn’t and what they’d like to see

changed in the law and/or polices. One focus of this option should be research and interview

perspectives on whether making drugs legal/illegal increases or decreases use/abuse? Be sure to

connect this to what the professional research shows. Consider what we DON’T know (for

example, if a drug has not been legal, how do you know if legalizing it will be helpful?). For this

option, be sure to ask the person’s permission to identify them in your paper, and get

demographic information on their education, training, and job duties.

3. MEDICAL/PHARMACEUTICAL: For this option interview a medical professional (doctor, nurse,

P.A.), a pharmacist, or preferably as Psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse. This option could focus on

either (a) the use of drugs in treating drug addictions, or (b) the value of using drugs such as pain

relievers in medical treatments given the risk of addiction. The person should be familiar with

the pharmacological treatment of substance abuse/addictions and/or the nature and function of

the drugs used if you take the first route. You could even consider both areas in your paper. Be

sure to include in this discussion and your research, questions about the role of counseling and

psychotherapy in conjunction with pharmacological treatment. How well does one work

without the other. Perhaps inquire about the “paradox” of using drugs to treat drug addictions.

What do the professionals say about this? You may also want to research and ask the

professionals question regarding whether or not drug therapies are driven more by the

patient/consumer, or the pharmaceutical companies and medical organizations who profit from

them? How would it look differently if drugs were 100% free and nobody profited from them?

Why is the risk of addictions worth the desire for “cures” and/or pain relief? You could go a

number of directions with this one, but do be sure your paper is organized in a logical and clear

manner whatever you choose.

Your paper should include the following:

1. APA formatted title page

2. Abstract (on it’s own page, APA format, etc.)

3. A well-written Introduction or thesis paragraph (see the APA manual for use of a heading

labeled “Introduction” – you should not have one – use the paper title or put in the first

section.)

4. The first section should be a research based background of the topic you choose. For this

section, use the PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL articles in the library to research the topic, and give a

good and thorough overview of the subject. You can go outside the specific topic a bit if it helps

support your topic, but stick mostly to the topic of your paper. (use APA formatted headings – at

least level 1, and additional levels as needed)

5. The second section should reflect the content of your personal interview and visit explained

below. Here, you should give a good and accurate overview of the information you were given,

and observations you made. Be sure to be clear who said what (see your APA manual for how to

cite personal interview information). You do NOT have to agree with what the person(s) said,

but share what they said and give your thoughts on it. You are HIGHLY encouraged to put

together a set of interview questions or observations you want to include before going. Then

you can refer to these in your paper and include them as an Appendix in your paper (Note

appendices go AFTER the reference page in APA papers).

6. The third section should be your views and interpretations of what you learned, pulling together

the research and the personal interviews in a “conclusion” of what you learned and want to

share about that. While you CAN use first person, here if you are referring specifically about

your opinion, it is better writing to write in passive voice. For example, rather than “I found the

research does not agree with the practice….” Try “A review of the research indicates a different

picture than what is commonly practiced in the…..”

7. An APA formatted reference page.

If you have any questions not answered in these instructions, feel free to e-mail your instructor.