Posted: March 10th, 2016

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning:Schizoaffective Disorder

For the final assignment in Unit 9, you will draw on the DSM-5 mental disorder you selected in Unit 3 and the case study you created in Unit 7 to formulate a comprehensive DSM-5 diagnosis that includes the principal diagnosis, medical conditions, and other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention (V and Z codes), develop an effective treatment plan for addressing this client’s presenting symptoms and issues, and discuss how social systems impact the assessment and treatment process.

To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to:

Assessment: Describe the methods you would use to assess and diagnose this client, based on the case study you developed. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches to evaluate which methods would be most appropriate for your client.
Diagnosis: Develop a comprehensive DSM-5 diagnosis for the hypothetical client presented in the Unit 7 assignment paper. Include the principal diagnosis, medical conditions, and other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention. Use the template provided in Resources. Provide a rationale for any choice of diagnosis you have made. Describe the advantages and limitations of using the DSM-5 to diagnose this client.
Treatment Planning: Develop a treatment plan for working with the client (refer to the Unit 6 discussion for an outline of a brief treatment plan). Incorporate current research and diagnostic resources used in the counseling profession to develop a treatment plan that effectively addresses this client’s presenting symptoms and issues. Describe the links you are making between the assessment process, the diagnosis, and the approach you will take with the client during therapy. Describe the following elements in your treatment plan and use specific examples to illustrate your ideas:
Focus of therapy.