Running head: 12 CORE FUNCTIONS 1

1-1 Journal: The 12 Core Functions

Melinda Callahan

Southern New Hampshire University

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Part I

Choosing Substance Abuse Counseling (or any counseling degree) is a decision that

should be made with great care because it is a role that society desperately needs as well as can

go very negatively for the client if the professional does not have the characteristics to meet the

job demands. Counseling people in general can be draining, but to my understanding much more

so within the addiction field because addiction is such a difficult disease to treat. When you care

for people, which is a requirement in my mind for this type of job, it is even harder to see the

effects of addiction or have a client relapse or simply stop coming to treatments.

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The term “burn-out” is often used to describe a counselor or anyone in the medical

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profession who has lost their drive and is suffering mentally and perhaps physically due to the

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high stress and demands of such positions (Vilardaga, 2011). This is one area I feel could be an
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issue for me as an individual because while I care, I have often been told I care too much and can

be sensitive to the suffering of other people and animals. Another consideration on my part about
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my characteristics is my tendency to become “overly involved” with people and their problems.
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Caring is a positive thing, but counselors must maintain a professional distance and set very clear

boundaries with themselves and between themselves and their clients for the therapeutic
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relationship to have benefit (Kent, 2017). In a sense I do feel ready for this career path for a

number of reason: I have always had a helping disposition and genuinely enjoyed seeing positive
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development for other people and being a part of that, as well as having struggled with substance
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abuse myself for many years. In addition, I possess an understanding of the immense

responsibility this role requires. I look forward to becoming more educated and gaining hands-on
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experience with the substance abuse field via an internship which is probably one of my biggest

weak points so far.

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Part II

Concerning the assigned reading on Core Functions I believe one of my strengths would

be related to screening, which is Function 1. The American Society of Addiction Medicine

(ASAM) Criteria is the standard for determining a client’s “placement, continued stay, transfer or

discharge” concerning addiction or substance abuse treatment (ASAM, 2020). In other words,

this is the standard criteria for deciding what is best for the client in question. Screening, as

described from the Core Functions, requires being aware of the signs and symptoms of addiction

and substance abuse, knowing the eligibility requirements of the agency you are employed by as

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well as what makes a client “appropriate” for a particular program, and being capable of

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realizing when a client is not appropriate for an offered program (while also having an alternative

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solution) (Herdman, 2018).
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As a person who grew up surrounded by substance abuse and personally recovered from

abusing substances, I believe I would be more able to see signs and symptoms. Similarly, as
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someone who has learned to live with co-occurring mental health disorders, this also gives me an
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edge in identifying co-morbid disorders and the impact they may be having on recovery. Intake is

one area I could see being a potential weakness for similar reasons. Even with knowledge of an
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agencies administrative policies and procedures I also intimately understand the struggle and

deeply wish to see people achieve the healing change that I know can occur. Due to this I could
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see bringing clients into programs they may not necessarily be eligible or appropriate for out of a
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sense of over-hopefulness. I hope to take away from this course a better understanding of the

detailed procedures and treatment modalities I will need to perform daily.

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References

ASAM. (2020). American Society of Addiction Medicine. https://www.asam.org/asam-

criteria/about.

Herdman, J. W. (2018). Global criteria: the 12 core functions of the substance abuse counselor.

John W. Herdman.

Kent, R. (2017). What do counsellors and psychotherapists mean by ‘professional boundaries.

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Vilardaga, R., Luoma, J. B., Hayes, S. C., Pistorello, J., Levin, M. E., Hildebrandt, M. J.,

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Kohlenberg, B., Roget, N. A., & Bond, F. (2011). Burnout among the addiction counseling

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workforce: the differential roles of mindfulness and values-based processes and work-site

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factors. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 40(4), 323–335.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2010.11.015
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