CARN study plan

Define and contrast at least six major models of addiction (moral, disease, biopsychosocial, learning/behavioral, sociocultural, public health) in your own words

Map each model to the treatment approaches it logically supports and note where they conflict

Explain the stages-of-change model and write one clinical example of a client in each stage

List five core recovery principles (e.g., chronic-care framing, self-efficacy, social support) and give a practice implication for each

Diagram the mesolimbic reward pathway and label where each major drug class acts

Summarize how tolerance, sensitization, dependence, and withdrawal differ neurobiologically

Build a drug-class chart covering mechanism, onset, duration, and key risks for alcohol, opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines, and cannabis

Predict withdrawal syndromes for three drug classes from their receptor mechanisms

Compare at least three validated screening tools (e.g., AUDIT, DAST, CRAFFT) and state their target populations and cutoffs

Apply DSM-5-TR substance use disorder criteria to two written case vignettes and assign severity

Distinguish screening from assessment and from diagnosis in a short written statement

Identify three conditions that mimic or mask substance use (e.g., medical, psychiatric) that must be ruled out

Outline withdrawal timelines and monitoring parameters for alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines

Identify red-flag symptoms that require escalated or inpatient care for each of the three classes

Explain the rationale for medically supervised withdrawal versus unsupported 'cold turkey' attempts

Sequence a safe withdrawal-management plan for one alcohol case including assessment, monitoring frequency, and referral triggers

Match the ASAM levels of care (or equivalent continuum) to three client scenarios and justify each placement

Compare at least four treatment modalities (CBT, motivational interviewing, contingency management, 12-step facilitation) by evidence base and target

List FDA-approved medications for alcohol, opioid, and tobacco use disorders with indication, key caution, and monitoring need

Explain how medication-assisted treatment combines with counseling and address two common misconceptions

Describe how to differentiate substance-induced from independent psychiatric disorders using timeline and course

Identify three medical complications of chronic use and the referral action for each

Draft a coordinated-care note showing how addiction, psychiatric, and primary care providers would share information

List trauma-informed and suicide-risk screening steps to integrate into intake

Build a relapse-prevention plan using at least three frameworks (triggers, coping skills, high-risk situations, lapse-versus-relapse distinction)

Design a continuing-care and recovery-support plan with specific referral resources and follow-up intervals

Outline a family or group intervention session structure with goals, ground rules, and boundaries

Explain how community and peer-recovery supports fit into a continuum of care

Apply confidentiality rules (e.g., 42 CFR Part 2, HIPAA distinctions) to three release-of-information scenarios

Identify ethical dilemmas (dual roles, informed consent, duty to warn) and state a defensible response for each

Summarize harm-reduction strategies (e.g., naloxone distribution, syringe services) and their evidence base

Design a brief prevention or health-promotion message aimed at a defined at-risk population

Complete a full-length practice exam and review every missed item by domain