| Course | PS497 Bachelor's Capstone in Addiction |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 1 |
| Paper type | Discussion board post |
| Length | About 390 words, 2 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 discussion post |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Psychology |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PS497 Unit 1
Week Three After Graduation: A PS497 Unit 1 Discussion Board Post Introducing a Capstone
PS497 · Unit 1 Discussion Board Post
Posted by [Student Name]
The writer, the program, the client and the classmates are composite; the sources cited are real.
Initial Post
Hello, everyone. I am finishing the BS in Psychology with the addictions concentration, and I have spent four years as a case manager at an outpatient addiction program in Boise, Idaho. I help clients with housing, insurance, transportation and appointments, and I sit in on treatment planning.
My capstone focus came from Wes. He is forty-one, drives a delivery route and completed our eight-week intensive outpatient program for alcohol use disorder in September. At graduation, he received a certificate, a handshake and a list of meetings. Three weeks later, his wife called to say he was drinking again. When I reached him, he said, "I was fine while I was coming in three times a week. Then it just stopped."
McLellan et al. (2000) showed that relapse and treatment adherence in drug dependence look much like those in diabetes or high blood pressure, and argued that addiction calls for care that goes on, not a one-time course. McKay (2009) reviewed research on continuing care, the lower-intensity support that follows intensive treatment, and found that longer continuing care was generally associated with better outcomes, and that active approaches, such as staff phoning clients instead of hoping they return on their own, showed promise.
Wes did not fail treatment; treatment stopped before the riskiest weeks began.
My capstone will design, plan and evaluate a smartphone-supported continuing care program for clients leaving intensive outpatient treatment: brief weekly check-ins through a secure app, text support from a counselor and a monthly group. The project will draw on everything from diagnosis and ethics to program design and evaluation. My clinical director has agreed to supervise it.
What gap in care have you seen that your own capstone could address?
Reply to Alyssa
Alyssa, your focus on peer support in rural counties is close to mine. I would be interested in how you plan to reach clients without reliable cell coverage.
Reply to Devin
Devin, I agree that families are often left out after treatment. McKay (2009) found that active outreach mattered, and families might be a natural part of that outreach.
References
McKay, J. R. (2009). Continuing care research: What we have learned and where we are going. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 36(2), 131-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2008.10.004
McLellan, A. T., Lewis, D. C., O'Brien, C. P., & Kleber, H. D. (2000). Drug dependence, a chronic medical illness: Implications for treatment, insurance, and outcomes evaluation. JAMA, 284(13), 1689-1695. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.284.13.1689
What the PS497 Unit 1 assignment asks for
PS497 begins by asking you to introduce a capstone focus grounded in a real gap in addiction care. Briefly introduce your role or interest. Describe one client's experience, composite or real, that shows the gap. Use research to explain why the gap matters, for example evidence on addiction as a chronic condition and on continuing care. Outline the project you plan, which parts of the concentration it will draw on and who will supervise it. Close by asking peers which gaps in care they have witnessed. Plan a first post near 400 words, then two replies that each question evidence, ethics or feasibility. Keep clients composite. Name which courses the project will draw on.
How this PS497 Unit 1 example is built
The post opens with a relapse three weeks after graduation. A paragraph introduces the writer's four years as a case manager. A paragraph tells Wes's story and his words, "Then it just stopped." A paragraph summarizes McLellan and colleagues and McKay's review of continuing care. A highlighted line says Wes did not fail treatment; treatment stopped before the riskiest weeks. A paragraph outlines the planned program and notes supervision. The closing question asks classmates about gaps their own capstones could address. Replies ask how a rural peer project will reach clients without coverage and suggest families as part of active outreach. The client's own words anchor the post from the first paragraph to the last.
Reading the PS497 Unit 1 grading rubric
A strong opening capstone post grounds its focus in a specific gap, shown through one client's experience, rather than a general interest. Research should explain why the gap matters, accurately summarized. The planned project should be outlined clearly enough that classmates can question it, with supervision named. Linking the project to several parts of the concentration shows the capstone's integrative purpose. Replies should ask useful questions rather than praise. APA citations and composite clients are expected throughout. Naming one way the project's success will be judged, even briefly, often strengthens the post. Keep the client's own words central to the opening. Showing why the gap matters to the client's family adds weight.
PS497 Unit 1 help: mistakes that cost points
Capstone focus posts often name a broad topic, such as relapse, without a specific gap or client. Others describe a solution before establishing the problem. Students frequently skip the research that shows why the gap matters. Supervision and consent are commonly left out. Replies tend to offer encouragement instead of questions. Before posting, write one sentence on exactly when and where clients are falling through. Cite one source showing the gap is real. Name your supervisor. Describe the project in two or three sentences. In replies, ask about evidence, ethics or feasibility. Use composite clients and person-first wording. Then read the post aloud to check that the client stays at its center.
Get a PS497 Unit 1 example written to your instructions
Send the Unit 1 prompt and the rubric. A custom post introduces a capstone focus through one gap in care. The first is free and comes back in 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More PS497 papers and BS in Psychology samples
- PS497 Unit 2: Case Formulation Paper
- PS497 Unit 3: Ethics Paper
- PS497 Unit 4: Literature Review
- PS497 Unit 5: Treatment Plan
- PS497 Unit 6: Program Design Paper
- PS497 Unit 7: Discussion Board Post
- PS497 Unit 8: Evaluation Plan
- PS497 Unit 9: Capstone Presentation
- PS497 Unit 10: Capstone Reflection
- PS498 Unit 1: Capstone Focus Post
- PS452 Unit 1: Stimulants and Driving Post
- PS499 Unit 1: Capstone Question Board Post
- PS450 Unit 1: Case Management Role Board Post
PS497 Unit 1 questions, answered
How should an addictions capstone focus be chosen?
Start from a gap you have seen, such as relapse after treatment ends, and check it against research.
Why focus on continuing care?
Many relapses happen in the weeks after intensive treatment ends.
What should replies add?
A question about evidence, ethics or feasibility.
Where can I find a free PS497 Unit 1 sample paper?
This page holds the complete PS497 Unit 1 post introducing a composite case manager's continuing care capstone, with two replies.
What gap does the PS497 Unit 1 sample address?
The weeks after intensive outpatient treatment ends, when a client relapsed three weeks after graduating.