| Course | PS521 Group Counseling |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 8 |
| Paper type | Discussion board post |
| Length | About 460 words, 2 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 discussion post |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | MS in Psychology |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PS521 Unit 8
He Smelled Like a Bar at Six O'Clock: A PS521 Unit 8 Discussion Board Post on a Member Arriving Intoxicated
PS521 · Unit 8 Discussion Board Post
Posted by [Student Name]
The writer, the program, the group members and the classmates are composite; the sources cited are real.
Initial Post
Last Thursday, Wade, the trucker whose phone dispute opened our storming week, arrived at 5:50 for a 6:00 group. He swayed at the sign-in desk, his words ran together and the smell of beer filled the hallway. Two members had already arrived and were watching.
The federal treatment protocol on group therapy advises that a member who arrives under the influence should not take part in that session, because intoxication undermines the work and can trigger cravings in others, and that the leader should handle the situation privately and with respect (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005). I asked Wade to step into the side office with me while the senior counselor greeted the others.
In the office I asked how he was doing and whether he had driven. He had. That made safety the first priority. I explained calmly that he could not join group that night and that we could not let him drive. He was angry, then embarrassed. With his agreement, we called his brother, who came to pick him up within twenty minutes. I told Wade I would call him at nine the next morning and that he was welcome back on Monday.
The goal that night was not to punish Wade for drinking; it was to get him home safely and keep his place in the group.
The group still had to be addressed. The ASGW guidelines ask leaders to attend to group process and to protect members' welfare while respecting confidentiality (Thomas & Pender, 2008). The senior counselor told the group only that Wade could not attend that evening and would be back. When a member asked whether Wade had been drinking, the counselor said that Wade's situation was his to share and turned the question to the group: how was it for them to see a member struggling? That opened one of the most honest discussions of the cohort.
On Monday, Wade chose to tell the group himself.
How has your program handled a member arriving under the influence?
Reply to Lisette
Lisette, your idea of a breath test at the door is used in some programs. The protocol leaves room for that, as long as it is applied to everyone and explained at intake (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005).
Reply to Garrett
Garrett, I agree that a confidentiality breach needs to be addressed in the full group. The guidelines' emphasis on processing group events fits your plan (Thomas & Pender, 2008).
References
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2005). Substance abuse treatment: Group therapy (Treatment Improvement Protocol Series, No. 41; HHS Publication No. SMA 05-3991). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best practice guidelines 2007 revisions. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933920801971184
Reading the PS 521 Unit 8 instructions
The eighth-unit board asks you to propose a strategy for one common group problem, using a real or composite example. Describe the situation as it unfolded, including timing and who saw what. Explain your response step by step, beginning with safety, and support each step with a source on group treatment or professional guidelines. Address both the member involved and the rest of the group, including what the group was told and how confidentiality was protected. Describe follow-up with the member and how the member returned to the group. Close by inviting peers to compare how their programs handle the same problem, and in your two replies add a step or policy the classmate's plan left out.
How this PS521 Unit 8 example is built
The post opens with Wade arriving ten minutes early, unsteady, with two members watching. A paragraph cites the federal protocol on intoxicated members and describes moving the conversation to a side office. A paragraph covers the safety check, the discovery that he had driven, the call to his brother and the promised morning call. A highlighted line names the goal as getting him home and keeping his place. A paragraph uses the ASGW guidelines to explain what the group was told and how a member's question became a discussion. A sentence reports his return on Monday, and replies discuss breath testing at the door and how to raise a confidentiality breach with the whole group.
Reading the PS521 Unit 8 grading rubric
Instructors credit posts that put safety first, including transportation and the member's condition, before addressing participation. Each step should be supported by a source on group treatment or a professional guideline. The strongest posts protect the member's dignity and confidentiality while also attending to the group's reaction, since the problem affects everyone in the room. A clear follow-up plan and a path back into the group show a leader's commitment to keeping members in treatment. Replies earn credit for adding a step or policy the classmate overlooked. Posts are also judged on timeliness, length and accurate APA citations of the protocol and guidelines. Showing the member's return to group closes the loop.
Common PS521 Unit 8 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Weak posts on this problem either let an intoxicated member stay in group, which undermines the session and can trigger others, or eject the member publicly, which shames them and may end their treatment. Many forget to ask whether the member drove. Others describe the conversation with the member but say nothing about what the group was told, though rumors fill silence quickly. Follow-up is often missing. Before posting, check that your first step is a private safety check, that you name how the member got home, that you state exactly what the group heard and that you describe when and how the member was contacted again.
Get a PS521 Unit 8 example written to your instructions
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PS521 Unit 8 questions, answered
What should a leader do if a member arrives intoxicated?
Speak privately, keep the member safe, ask them to leave the session and follow up the next day.
How should a breach of group confidentiality be handled?
Address it openly with the group, restate the agreement and decide together what happens next.
What should a reply add?
A step the classmate's plan left out.
Where can I find a free PS521 Unit 8 sample paper?
A PS521 Unit 8 post on a member arriving intoxicated to an evening group, with replies, is reproduced above.
What was the group told in the PS521 Unit 8 sample?
Only that the member could not attend that night and would be back; his situation was left for him to share.