This guide is for COUC 546 Week 8 Case Study 3, 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 | 8 |
| 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 8 Case Study 3 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 3 is due in Module/Week 8 with DSM-5 pages 31 to 86, 461 to 480 and 355 to 360 and Kring chapter 13. Worth 100 points.
Where it fits in COUC 546
In the published schedule, Case Study 3 is one of 11 graded written assignments in COUC 546. It follows Week 7 Research Paper Final, and it is the last written assignment in the course.
How COUC 546 Week 8 Case Study 3 is graded
Liberty grades Case Study 3 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. The rubric rows are the real instructions. Draft against them, and you will rarely be surprised by the grade.
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 8 method, step by step
Read the case for facts, not impressions
List the facts of the case first. Analysis that rests on a misread detail is the most common way case answers lose points.
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
Bring the course material to the case: the framework, theory or principle the week covers, applied explicitly to the facts you listed.
Weigh the options
Compare alternatives before recommending one. Each option needs its advantage and its risk stated in the terms of the case.
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
If the case comes with questions, answer each one under its own heading, in order, 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 8 Case Study 3
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 final readings include neurodevelopmental disorders. If the case concerns a child, consider developmental context and information from parents and teachers.
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.
Teachers report that the 8-year-old is often out of his seat, interrupts and loses materials, and parents describe the same behaviors at home since kindergarten. Symptoms across two settings, beginning before age 12 and impairing school performance, support a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, combined presentation, after vision, hearing and learning problems are ruled out.
- Two settings.
- Onset.
- Rule-outs.
Mistakes that cost points on COUC 546 Week 8
- 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 8 Case Study 3 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 8 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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