MAC study plan

Recite the DSM-5-TR criteria for substance use disorder and classify severity (mild 2-3, moderate 4-5, severe 6+) from written vignettes.

Differentiate screening from assessment and select the appropriate instrument (e.g., AUDIT, DAST-10, CAGE, ASI) for a described setting.

Apply the six ASAM dimensions to determine an appropriate level of care for three sample clients.

Identify withdrawal assessment tools and the clinical signs that require immediate medical referral.

Distinguish substance-induced conditions from independent co-occurring mental disorders in case descriptions.

Describe motivational interviewing components (OARS, change talk, sustain talk) and stage-matched counselor responses.

Compare CBT, solution-focused, and relapse prevention approaches by target, technique, and typical use.

Sequence the stages of change and specify two counselor interventions appropriate to each stage.

Outline group counseling dynamics, screening criteria for group placement, and confidentiality limits in group settings.

Identify crisis intervention steps and warning signs requiring escalation for suicidal or medically unstable clients.

Apply stage-matched counseling strategies to four written vignettes and justify each choice.

Construct measurable treatment-plan goals and objectives using client-centered, behavioral language with target dates.

Match client presentation to the correct ASAM level of care and defend the placement in writing.

Revise vague or non-measurable treatment objectives into compliant, measurable statements.

Explain how treatment plans are updated when a client relapses or fails to progress.

Determine when a client requires referral to medical, psychiatric, legal, housing, or vocational resources and state the triggering indicators.

Describe the referral process end to end, including client consent, release of information, and follow-up verification.

Apply 42 CFR Part 2 and general confidentiality rules to referral scenarios involving third parties.

Document referrals and their outcomes in a manner that meets record-keeping standards.

Build a local referral resource list by service category, including eligibility and contact pathway.

Coordinate care across a multidisciplinary team by defining roles, communication channels, and handoff content.

Write progress notes in DAP and SOAP formats that link each intervention to a treatment-plan objective.

Apply documentation standards for timeliness, legibility, corrections, and retention to sample records.

Identify what must and must not be included in a client record under privacy and consent requirements.

Describe case management activities that support treatment plan implementation and continuity of care.

Design an education session outline for clients or families that matches health literacy level and cultural context.

Explain prevention, early intervention, and community education strategies and their target audiences.

Apply the ethical decision-making steps to vignettes involving dual relationships, boundaries, and impaired colleagues.

Identify mandated reporting duties, limits of competence, and supervision obligations in counselor practice.

Differentiate ethical requirements from legal requirements in three scenarios and state the action each demands.

Integrate assessment findings into diagnosis, level-of-care, and counseling decisions within single vignettes.

Retest the highest-miss concepts from the Weeks 1 through 6 error logs to confirm correction.

Complete timed items to build pacing and flag patterns in distractor selection.

Reconcile conflicting treatment-plan and assessment information the way the exam expects.

Rank remaining weak areas by frequency of error to direct final-week study time.

Re-drill the top 20 most-missed concepts until each is answered correctly without notes.

Review condensed one-page summaries of all eight domains in two passes.

Verify exam-day logistics: testing requirements, identification, timing, and break strategy.

Rehearse the pacing plan on a 40-question timed set to confirm stamina and time per item.

Confirm the final weak-area list is empty or reduced to items flagged for a last read.