This guide is for COUC 546 Week 3 Case Study 1, start to submission. A 3 to 4-page case study giving key issues, DSM-5 diagnostic impressions and collaborative bio-psycho-social-spiritual treatment recommendations.
COUC 546 is Psychopathology, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as COUC546; it is the same course.
| Course | COUC 546 Psychopathology |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 3 |
| Points | 100 points |
| Length | 3 to 4 pages |
| Sources | 2 to 3 scholarly sources in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible |
| Faith integration | The Bible is a required source; treatment includes a spiritual dimension |
| Format | Current APA |
What COUC 546 Week 3 Case Study 1 asks for
You write a 3 to 4-page case study in current APA that identifies the key issues in the case, gives diagnostic impressions based on the DSM-5, and offers treatment recommendations that support a collaborative effort and take a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach, with 2 to 3 scholarly sources besides the textbooks and the Bible. Case Study 1 is due in Module/Week 3 with DSM-5 pages 123 to 188 and Kring chapter 5. Worth 100 points.
Where it fits in COUC 546
In the published schedule, Case Study 1 is one of 11 graded written assignments in COUC 546. It follows Week 2 Research Paper Topic and comes before Week 4 Abstract and Annotated Bibliography.
How COUC 546 Week 3 Case Study 1 is graded
Liberty grades Case Study 1 with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 100 points in the published guide. That is about 10% of the course's 1,010 points. Read the rubric first. Each row is a criterion, and the wording of the highest column is the closest thing you have to a model answer.
Course grades in COUC 546 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 940 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Each course week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
The COUC 546 Week 3 method, step by step
Read the case for facts, not impressions
Read the case in Case Study 1 and list the facts that matter: who is involved, what happened, what constraints exist. Separate facts from assumptions before analyzing anything.
Name the central problem
State the main problem in one sentence. Many cases contain several issues; the strongest answers say which one drives the rest.
Apply the course framework
Use the model or concepts from Psychopathology to analyze the case. Name the framework, then work through it with the case facts, step by step.
Weigh the options
Lay out two or three realistic options, with the benefit and the cost of each. Graders look for judgment, which means showing what you rejected and why.
Recommend and justify
Choose one course of action and defend it with evidence (2 to 3 scholarly sources in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible). Include how you would implement it and how you would know it worked.
Answer every question asked
Check the case questions one last time. Each one needs a direct answer, clearly labeled, within 3 to 4 pages.
Match the case facts to the DSM-5 criteria one by one, note what other diagnoses you ruled out, then organize treatment by the four dimensions and name who else should be involved (physician, psychiatrist, pastor, family).
A structure for COUC 546 Week 3 Case Study 1
Word targets are planning numbers for about 1,300 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Key issues | The presenting problems. | ~260 words |
| Diagnostic impressions | DSM-5 criteria applied. | ~420 words |
| Treatment recommendations | Collaborative, bio-psycho-social-spiritual. | ~420 words |
| Sources | Scholarly sources, textbooks and Bible. | ~210 words |
A topic angle that works
The readings include schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. If the case involves psychotic symptoms, distinguish the possible diagnoses by duration and mood involvement.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
The client reports hearing voices and believing coworkers are monitoring her, symptoms present for about four months with marked decline at work. Because symptoms have lasted more than one month but less than six, schizophreniform disorder fits better than schizophrenia, and the absence of major mood episodes rules out schizoaffective disorder. Medical causes and substance use should be ruled out first.
- Criteria matched.
- Duration.
- Rule-outs.
Mistakes that cost points on COUC 546 Week 3
- A diagnosis without matching criteria.
- Treatment missing a dimension.
- No collaboration.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: 3 to 4 pages
- Sources: 2 to 3 scholarly sources in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible
- Faith integration: The Bible is a required source; treatment includes a spiritual dimension
- Every case question answered under its own heading
- A clear recommendation with its justification
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
How many case studies are in COUC 546?
Three, in Weeks 3, 6 and 8, worth 100 points each.
How many points is COUC 546 Week 3 Case Study 1 worth?
100 points in Liberty's published course guide for COUC 546, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 10% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is COUC 546 Week 3 the same in every section of COUC 546?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for COUC 546. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
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