UCSB ADCSM (Civil Service Management) study plan
UCSB ADCSM (Civil Service Management) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis & Addiction and Recovery Models
Define the six ASAM criteria dimensions in your own words and map each to a screening question you would ask a new client
Compare DSM-5-TR substance use disorder severity thresholds (mild, moderate, severe) and list the 11 symptom criteria by category
Differentiate screening, assessment, and diagnosis, and give one example instrument for each stage
Summarize three recovery models (abstinence-based, harm reduction, and medication-assisted treatment) and state one clinical implication of each
Your checkpoint
A one-page comparison chart of ASAM dimensions, DSM-5-TR severity levels, and the three recovery models, with at least two clinical implications noted per model
Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis & Co-occurring Disorders and Behavioral Addictions
Apply the biopsychosocial interview structure to a written case vignette and record findings under each ASAM dimension
Identify at least four validated screening tools (for example AUDIT, DAST-10, PHQ-9, GAD-7) and state the cut score and population for each
Explain how co-occurring mental health disorders alter screening interpretation and list three common confounds
Describe behavioral addiction criteria for gambling disorder and distinguish it from substance use disorder criteria
Your checkpoint
A completed mock biopsychosocial assessment for a fictional client that cites at least three screening tools and justifies each severity rating
Treatment Planning and Documentation & Record Keeping, Reporting, and Confidentiality
Draft a treatment plan with measurable goals, objectives, and interventions tied to ASAM dimension ratings
Write two progress notes in a recognized format (SOAP and DAP) from the same session vignette
Identify the elements of a compliant clinical record and state retention and release-of-information requirements in general terms
Apply the minimum-necessary standard to three scenarios involving third-party requests for records
Your checkpoint
A treatment plan plus two progress notes for the same fictional client, each meeting a self-scored documentation checklist of at least eight elements
Client Education and Counseling & Professional and Ethical Responsibilities
Demonstrate three motivational interviewing techniques (open questions, affirmations, reflections) in written dialogue
Explain the stages-of-change model and match two interventions to each stage
Outline the ethical decision-making steps for a dual-relationship or boundary concern and apply them to a scenario
Describe informed consent, mandated reporting, and duty-to-warn obligations and where they intersect with confidentiality
Your checkpoint
A scored role-play transcript of at least 12 exchanges showing motivational interviewing, with a written ethics analysis of one boundary scenario
Client Education and Counseling & Referral and Service Coordination
Build a referral resource list covering detox, outpatient, housing, and peer support with intake criteria for each
Write a warm handoff script and a release-of-information summary for a client transitioning between levels of care
Identify barriers to service access and propose two coordination strategies for each barrier
Explain case management functions and how to document care coordination contacts
Your checkpoint
A referral directory of at least ten fictional or generic service types with intake criteria plus one completed warm handoff script
Program Management and Administrative Skills & Record Keeping, Reporting, and Confidentiality
Describe program licensing, accreditation, and quality-improvement cycle components relevant to addiction treatment programs
Calculate two basic program metrics (for example completion rate and no-show rate) from a provided data table
Explain staff supervision, training, and documentation audit practices and their role in compliance
Draft a confidentiality breach response sequence from discovery through notification
Your checkpoint
A one-page quality-improvement memo with two calculated metrics, an identified problem, and a corrective action plan
Addiction and Recovery Models & Co-occurring Disorders and Behavioral Addictions & Professional and Ethical Responsibilities
Compare at least four recovery support models and state the evidence base and limitations of each
Explain medication-assisted treatment options, their mechanisms, and common misconceptions clients raise
Integrate co-occurring disorder treatment approaches (integrated vs. sequential vs. parallel) and justify a choice for a vignette
Apply ethical standards to a scenario involving a client who relapses and requests a change in treatment goals
Your checkpoint
A two-page integrated case conceptualization for a client with co-occurring disorders that names the treatment model, recovery supports, and ethical considerations
Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis & Treatment Planning and Documentation & Referral and Service Coordination & Client Education and Counseling & Professional and Ethical Responsibilities & Record Keeping, Reporting, and Confidentiality & Addiction and Recovery Models & Co-occurring Disorders and Behavioral Addictions & Program Management and Administrative Skills
Complete two full-length timed practice exams and log every missed item by domain
Re-teach the three weakest domains by writing a one-page summary of each from memory, then checking against source material
Review all deliverables from weeks 1 through 7 and correct any gaps flagged by your self-scoring checklists
Build a final one-page reference sheet of key thresholds, instruments, and ethical obligations
Your checkpoint
A domain-by-domain score log from both practice exams with a written remediation summary for the three lowest-scoring domains
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80 percent on a 30-question self-quiz covering screening instruments, DSM-5-TR severity criteria, and ASAM dimensions
Week 4: Complete the motivational interviewing role-play transcript and pass the ethics scenario analysis against a written rubric of at least five criteria
Week 6: Produce the quality-improvement memo with correctly calculated metrics and a documentation checklist covering all required record elements
Week 8: Achieve at least 75 percent overall on both timed practice exams with no domain below 65 percent, and finish the remediation summaries