Treatment Planning

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COU 650 Final Project One Guidelines and Rubric

Overview
The final project for this course is a continuation of the case conceptualization you started in COU 610. For this final project, you will create and submit the
diagnosis section of the case conceptualization. The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because as a counselor, you will be
asked to create a diagnosis based on a biopsychosocial assessment and what you know about a client. The project is divided into three drafts, which will be
submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. After each draft, you will incorporate instructor
feedback using the track changes feature in Microsoft Word. You will submit your final product, including the tracked changes, in Week Nine. The drafts will be
submitted in Weeks Two, Four, and Six.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

● COU-650-01: Determine the role of diagnosis of emotional and mental health disorders in clients for its impact on treatment.
● COU-650-02: Justify diagnoses based on relative evidence to accurately diagnose emotional and mental health disorder in clients.
● COU-650-03: Evaluate the role of biological factors as they relate to emotional and mental health disorders while making a diagnosis.
● COU-650-05: Determine appropriate ethical and cultural considerations in diagnosis of emotional and mental health disorders in clients.

Prompt
In this section of the case conceptualization, you will use the patient’s assessments from COU 610 and create a biopsychosocial assessment to determine the
patient’s diagnosis. Then, you will justify the diagnosis using the DSM and the biopsychosocial.

Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below. Most of the critical elements align with a particular course outcome (shown in brackets).

I. Biopsychosocial Summary
A. Describe the problem that the client is seeking help for in this case. [COU-650-01]

i. Make sure to address any problems, issues, or challenges the client may be facing.
B. Explain the symptoms affecting the client. [COU-650-03]

i. What are the behavioral symptoms?
ii. What are the cognitive symptoms?

iii. What are the emotional symptoms?
iv. What are the physiological symptoms?

C. Identify any potential harmful behavior: [COU-650-01]
i. Aggression

ii. Harm to others

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iii. Harm to themselves
D. Determine if the client has a family history of the diagnosis. Consider how this may affect the client. [COU-650-03]
E. Use evidence-based research to support the biological factors presented in the case. [COU-650-03]
F. Outline how the client identifies themselves in the following cultural characteristics. Make sure to add rationale for any obscure answers. [COU-

650-05]
i. Age

ii. Disability
iii. Religion
iv. Social class
v. Sexual orientation

vi. Indigenous background
vii. National origin

viii. Gender identity
G. Summarize how the client culturally identifies. [COU-650-05]

i. In the context of the identifiers above, how does the client culturally identify?

II. Diagnosis Justification
A. Describe the initial DSM diagnosis. [COU-650-02]

i. What is the overall descriptor of the diagnosis?
ii. What criteria must be met for the diagnosis?
iii. Describe which client behaviors are being used to meet the diagnostic criteria.

B. Describe the cultural limitations that are known about the identified diagnosis. [COU-650-03]

Discuss the following considerations related to the diagnosis used:

C. Describe the developmental patterns of the client. [COU-650-02]
D. Describe the observable behaviors. [COU-650-02]
E. Identify what other diagnoses that should be ruled out. Make sure to provide rationale. [COU-650-02]
F. Identify limitations with this diagnosis. Make sure to provide rationale. [COU-650-02]
G. Use evidence-based research to support your justification. [COU-650-02]

Drafts
Draft One: Biopsychosocial Form
In Week Two, you will submit a biopsychosocial form using the client’s assessment results. This draft will be graded with the Draft One Rubric.

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Draft Two: Biopsychosocial Summary
In Week Four you will submit a summary of the biopsychosocial. This draft will be graded with the Draft Two Rubric.

Draft Three: Justification
In Week Six, you will submit a draft of the justification for your diagnosis. This draft will be graded with the Draft Three Rubric.

Final Submission: Diagnosing
In Week Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should
reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project One Rubric.

Deliverables
Drafts Deliverable Week Due Grading

One Biopsychosocial Form Two Graded separately; Biopsychosocial Rubric

Two Biopsychosocial Summary Four Graded separately; Draft Two Rubric

Three Justification Six Graded separately; Draft Three Rubric

Final Submission: Diagnosis Nine Graded separately; Final Project One Rubric

Final Project One Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your diagnosis must be 7-10 pages in length and formatted as a clinical document that uses the headings from the critical elements
outlined in the prompt. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Make sure to include all documented changes from your
drafts using track changes. If you do not use track changes, your instructor will ask you to resubmit your paper.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Biopsychosocial:
Problem

[COU-650-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides keen insight into why
the client is seeking help

Describes the problem that the
client is seeking help for in this
case

Describes the problem that the
client is seeking help for in this
case, but lacks details

Does not describe the problem
that the client is seeking help
for in this case

13.16

Biopsychosocial:
Symptoms

[COU-650-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides exceptional insight
into the client’s symptoms

Explains the symptoms
affecting the client

Explains the symptoms
affecting the client, but lacks
details or has gaps in symptoms

Does not explain the symptoms
affecting the client

6.58

Biopsychosocial:
Harmful Behavior

[COU-650-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides exceptional insight
into potential harmful
behaviors

Identifies any potential harmful
behaviors

Identifies any potential harmful
behaviors but lacks details

Does not identify any potential
harmful behaviors

13.16

4

Biopsychosocial:
Family History
[COU-650-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers nuanced insight into how
it may be affecting the client

Determines if the client has a
family history of the diagnosis
that is affecting the client

Determines if the client has a
family history of the diagnosis,
but does not make meaningful
connections to the client

Does not determine if the client
has a family history of the
diagnosis

6.58

Biopsychosocial:
Evidence-Based

Research
[COU-650-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
offers nuanced insight into the
relationship between the
biological factors and the client

Uses evidence-based research
to support the biological factors
presented in the case

Uses evidence-based research
to support the biological factors
presented in the case, but does
not cover all required elements

Does not use evidence-based
research to support the
biological factors presented in
the case

6.58

Biopsychosocial:
Cultural

Characteristics
[COU-650-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides in-depth rationale
when appropriate

Outlines how the client
identifies in the cultural
characteristics, with rationale
when appropriate

Outlines how the client
identifies in the cultural
characteristics, but does not
cover all required elements

Does not outline how the client
identifies in the cultural
characteristics

8.78

Biopsychosocial:
Culturally Identifies

[COU-650-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides keen insight

Summarizes how the client
culturally identifies

Summarizes how the client
culturally identifies, but lacks
detail

Does not summarizes how the
client culturally identifies

8.78

Diagnosis
Justification: DSM

Diagnosis
[COU-650-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
description is exceptionally
clear and contextualized

Describes the initial DSM
diagnosis

Describes the initial DSM
diagnosis but has inaccuracies

Does not describe the initial
DSM diagnosis

4.39

Diagnosis
Justification: Cultural

Limitations
[COU-650-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides keen insight

Describes the cultural
limitations that are known
about the identified diagnosis

Describes the cultural
limitations that are known
about the identified diagnosis,
but lacks details

Does not describe the cultural
limitations that are known
about the identified diagnosis

6.58

Diagnosis
Justification:

Developmental
Patterns

[COU-650-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides keen insight

Describes the developmental
patterns of the client

Describes the developmental
patterns of the client, but lacks
detail or has inaccuracies

Does not describe the
developmental patterns of the
client

4.39

Diagnosis
Justification:
Observable
Behaviors

[COU-650-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides keen insight

Describes the observable
behaviors of the client

Describes the observable
behaviors of the client, but
lacks detail or has inaccuracies

Does not describe the
observable behaviors of the
client

4.39

Diagnosis
Justification: Other

Diagnoses
[COU-650-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates sophisticated
awareness of why they should
be ruled out

Identifies other diagnoses that
should be ruled out

Identifies other diagnoses that
should be ruled out, but lacks
detail or has inaccuracies

Does not identify other
diagnoses that should be ruled
out

4.39

Diagnosis Meets “Proficient” criteria and Identifies limitations with the Identifies limitations with the Does not identify limitations 4.39

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Justification:
Limitations

[COU-650-02]

provides keen insight diagnosis diagnosis but has lack of detail
or inaccuracies

with the diagnosis

Diagnosis
Justification:

Evidence-Based
Research

[COU-650-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides keen insight

Uses evidence-based research
to support your justification

Uses evidence-based research
to support your justification,
but lacks details or has
inaccuracies

Does not use evidence-based
research to support your
justification

4.39

Articulation of
Response

Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented in
a professional and easy-to-read
format

Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas

Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas

3.46

Total 100%