Case Study

Follow the outline below as you write your diagnosis assignment. You will have 3 major areas to your diagnosis assignment: (1) key issues, (2) diagnostic impressions, and (3) general treatment recommendations (not a full treatment plan). Follow the format below when completing your assignment. This assignment does not have to be in current APA format and you are not required to include references. Sections I.–III. should be 3–4 pages. The diagnosis assignment is an opportunity for you to think through a clinical case, identify and prioritize key issues involved, consider and clarify relevant diagnostic issues, and formulate treatment recommendations that are most likely to be helpful to the client. You do not have to develop a treatment plan for this assignment.

I. Key Issues

A. List in order of priority of importance the key issues you believe are involved in the case study if you were the client’s counselor. Provide a rationale for the order in which you prioritized issues. What are the most important features to you and why?

B. Link your rationale for the order of priority in A. to what you believe outcomes of treatment should be for this client. How does your order of priority contribute to a successful outcome for the client?

C. How might the client list a different order of priority of key issues differ from yours (the counselor)?

II. Diagnostic Impressions

A. Based on the information provided in the case study, use the current version of the DSM to accurately diagnose the type(s) of substance-related disorder(s) involved, including the appropriate use of specifiers. Refer to specific diagnostic criteria when presenting your impressions.

B. Be sure to consider the presence of any other co-occurring disorder(s) in addition to substance-related disorders, including other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention.

C. Provide a rationale for your diagnostic impressions, giving consideration to differential diagnostic considerations.

III. Treatment Recommendations

A. List your recommendations (e.g., 1., 2., 3., etc.) so that you can clearly delineate what you believe will be of most help to your client. Also provide a sentence or two of rationale for each recommendation. Be sure to consider recommendations that will be motivating to your client and reflective of a collaborative approach.

B. Be sure to consider the biopsychosociospiritual aspects of the case. Make sure your recommendations are relevant to the case, able to be implemented by the client, and have some basis of support from professional literature.