Consultation With Other Professionals
A substance abuse counselors ultimate goal is to ensure their clients receive comprehensive, quality care. Consultation with in-house and out of house professionals can become an intricate and vital element of care. Your ability to recognize issues beyond your knowledge base or skill and then identify and consult with the appropriate resources and professionals will be critical to your success and your clients wellbeing.
The 12 core functions create the blueprint to effective substance use treatment. Learning the details of each is fundamental to your career. In the coming weeks, well be talking in depth about each one. Be sure to subscribe or follow us on and to keep up!
Attending Substance Abuse Counseling
At New Jersey Interventions, we understand the vitality of substance abuse counseling for the recovery of addiction. If you or a loved one suffer from the effects of substance abuse, it may be time to look into attending addiction therapy and take advantage of the core functions of substance abuse counseling. Contact us today for more information on how to attend substance abuse counseling in New Jersey.
References:
Global Criteria: The 12 Core Functions Of The Substance Abuse Counselor 8th Edition
This Eighth Edition returns to teaching the 12 Core Functions of the Substance Abuse Counselor. The 12 Core Functions are the activities that substance abuse counselor do in their practice of counseling. This Eighth Edition continues to include instructor lesson plans and student quizzes. It is designed to assist instructors in preparing students seeking certification as alcohol and other drug abuse counselors. Performing the 12 Core Functions competently is necessary, important and critical for the protection of the public, individual clients and counselors.
Global Criteria: The 12 Core Functions of a Substance Abuse Counselor: Eighth Edition is valued by both professors in counselor training programs and clinical supervisors in treatment programs. Not only do the chapters have lesson plans for instructors, but includes quizzes with answers in Appendix A and Sample Forms in Appendix B.
Purchase your copy directly from the author by contacting HerdmanHealth or through CCAPP.
Book
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What Are The 12 Core Functions Of Counseling
8:00 a.m. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS ARE MANDATORY. AT 8:45 am, an overview of the 12 ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF COUNSELING is presented. The following services are provided: intake, initiation, assessment, treatment planning, counseling, case management, crisis intervention, client education, referral, report-writing and record-keeping, consultation, and consultation.
Agencies Have Different Requirements

Eligibility requirements differ between agencies and programs. Criteria usually examine the patients age, gender, legal status, income, and more. If a counselor deems an individual eligible for treatment, but he/she does not fit the parameters of the program, the professional should be able to suggest an alternative location.
The global screening criteria for drug and alcohol counselors includes all of the above, plus familiarity with and adherence to laws and regulations. Counselors should be familiar with local, state, and federal policies regarding their services.
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Addiction Counseling: Understanding The 12 Core Functions
Category: Addiction Counselor, CCAPP, CCAPP Certification, NAADAC, Substance Abuse Counseling
If you decide to earn your addiction counseling certificate, one of the first things you will hear about during your educational experience are the 12 Core Functions of addiction counseling. Counselors need to be proficient in each of these 12 functions, or tasks, in order to be successful in their careers.
These core functions are simply the types of tasks that are required day-to-day in the world of addiction counseling. If youve ever wondered what addiction counselors do specifically, these core functions should give you a solid foundation. Each function is based on a set of global criteria, and these 12 core functions are used by addiction professionals around the world. Lets take a quick look at each function.
1. Patient Screening
Before a patient becomes a patient in any type of addiction counseling program, we must first determine if the patient is a good match for the program in question. You also will evaluate your patient for signs of alcohol and drug use and also work to identify any co-occurring disorders.
2. Intake
3. Orientation
4. Assessment
5. Treatment Planning
6. Counseling
Counseling can involve many different options, including individual counseling, family counseling and group counseling. There may be different types of therapy involved, such as cognitive behavioral therapy to help patients deal with all of their issues.
7. Case Management
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What Is Treatment Planning
When treating a client, the therapist tailors the use of available treatment resources to the degree feasible to the clients particular objectives and requirements. Treatment planning is an ongoing activity. The development of tailored treatment plans requires a comprehensive multidimensional assessment.
What Is The Role Of A Counselor In Addiction Treatment
During the course of therapy planning, the counselor and the client collaborate.In addition, they agree on short- and long-term objectives, and they make decisions on the treatment process and the resources that will be employed to achieve those objectives.Explain the results of the evaluation to the customer in a clear and understandable way.
Identify and prioritize challenges in accordance with the demands of the customer.
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Twelve Core Functions Of The Addiction Counselor Tap21
The twelve core functions of an addiction counselor are:
I. Screening: Determining whether the client appropriate and eligible for admission to the program.
II. Intake: Completing admission, assessment and other program forms, releases of information, and assigning a primary counselor to the client.
III. Orientation: Describing to the client the goals of the program rules of conduct and infractions that can lead to disciplinary action or discharge from the program.
IV. Assessment: Identifying and evaluating an individuals strengths, weaknesses, problems and needs in order to develop a treatment plan. This usually results from a combination of focused interviews, testing and/or record reviews.
V. Treatment Planning: Identifying and ranking problems needing resolution establishing agreed-upon immediate and long-term goals and deciding upon a treatment process and the resources to be utilized. A written treatment contract is based on the assessment and is a product of a negotiation between the client and the counselor to assure that the plan is tailored to the individuals needs.
VI. Counseling: Basically, the relationship in which the counselor helps the client mobilize resources to resolve his or her problem and/or modify attitudes and values.
VII. Case Management: Knowing how to bring outside services, agencies, and resources to assist the client to recovery and attain other goals of the treatment plan.
Core Functions: What Is Screening
January 8, 2017 by Keisha Mclean-Green
Last Updated on January 31, 2017 by Morris Green
The 12 core functions of alcohol and drug abuse counseling create the blueprint all substance use professionals follow. Its a proven guide because this step-by-step process has shown the best results in starting and managing a successful client + counselor relationship. The first of the 12 core functions is screening, and were going to dig into just what it is and involves.
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What Is The Role Of A Counselor In Family Therapy
Help the client, family, or group understand problems and the consequences of their actions by using strategies.Utilize approaches to assist the client, family, or group in examining their own behaviors, attitudes, and feelings, among other things.Individualize therapy based on differences in culture, gender, age, and way of life, among others.
Obtaining solutions and decisions from the client is essential.
How To Best Guide Clients

The global criteria of counseling focuses on best practices. Your ability to best match a program or service to the needed counseling techniques will be vital. According to the Twelve Core Functions of the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor, as you embark, you can expect to
- Select the best counseling theory that apply to your client.
- Apply the needed technique to best assist an individual, a group, or a family in exploring specific problems by zeroing in on cause and effect.
- Apply a technique designed to assist an individual, a group, or a family in examining behaviors, attitudes, and feelings.
- Tailor individualized counseling to meet cultural, gender, and lifestyle differences.
- Interact with your client in the best and appropriate therapeutic manner.
- Prompt solutions and decisions from your client.
- Implement an appropriate treatment plan.
Its important to understand that counseling is used to develop a therapeutic relationship. One of the greatest challenges you will face as a counselor is identifying and maintaining professional boundaries. Your goal will be to help your clients resolve their problem. Resolutions will be as unique as each person you counsel, and it will fall to you to help them find and utilize the available and appropriate resources to achieve their goals. You can expect to use a wide range of methods, including:
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Strategic Family Therapy
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Keeping Records And Reporting
The results of treatment must be carefully documented and recorded. This is done to track patient progress and develop plans for the patients future. While reports, notes, discharge summaries, and other types of information must be kept confidential, it should also be properly tracked. This helps to identify where the patient has improved and in which areas they still require further treatment.
Core Functions: The Core Function Called Counseling
February 9, 2017 by Keisha Mclean-Green
Last Updated on February 9, 2017 by Morris Green
Its the bread and butter of a substance abuse counselors job. Its the major component of their clients treatment plans that leaves a lasting impact. Its the sixth core function, and its called Counseling. According to Dictionary.com, counseling is a noun and a verb meaning to give professional guidance with the goal of resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems. But for counselors working with clients recovering from addiction, its so much more.
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How Many Core Functions Are There
Counselors play an important role in the success of any treatment program. These 12 essential functions are tough to master, but they must be taken into account for every single patient. Patients are able to heal adequately and return to their previous life when all of the objectives are satisfied.
Tap21 8 Practice Domains And 12 Core Functions And Competencies Of Addiction Counseling
The City Vision University Addiction Counseling program offers a full range of instruction on the skills necessary to succeed as a licensed addiction counselor.
These skills are defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in a publication often known as TAP 21. This is a Technical Assistance Publication entitled Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice, which can be downloaded from .
After you have receive a BS or a certificate in Addiction Counseling from City Vision University, you will still need to follow the steps necessary to get licensed by your states accreditation board. Most states require at least 180 hours of training to satisfy the instructional requirement for licensure typically you will simply need to supply a transcript of completed coursework, and, at most, the syllabi of the courses which you took.
City Vision has collected resources for you on how to become a certified addiction counselor in your state. Send an email to info@cityvision.edu if you need assistance with this process.
Note that if you have already completed an initial course of study in addiction counseling, any of the courses listed below should count as 45 CEUs , since each provides 3 academic credits. Most states require 40 CEUs every two years, though some require the ethics course in person.
Eight Practice Domains |
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What Does A Counsellor Do
Counselors are in charge of taking notes, writing reports, and keeping track of any other information pertaining to a patients condition. 12. Consultation with other professionals on the treatment or services provided to clients: It is possible that many patients may underestimate the importance of the final of the four main roles of counseling.
Tip 4: Managing Depressive Symptoms In Substance Abuse Clients During Early Recovery

This guide helps substance use counselors treat clients with symptoms of depression and substance use conditions. Program administrators will learn how to integrate depression treatment into early drug treatment. The guidelines cover screening, assessment, treatment, counseling, cultural competence, and continuing care.
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What Are The Core Functions Of Counseling
Case Management is a fundamental function of counseling in that it brings all of the parties and resources together for the aim of arranging services for the individual receiving therapy. Following the establishment of a treatment plan, the gathered resources are brought together to assist in meeting the patients needs as outlined in the treatment plan.
Advisory: The Substance Use Disorder Counseling Competency Framework: An Overview
This Advisory is based on Technical Assistance Publication 21, Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice. It discusses the development of the counseling competencies and the validated research on which they are based, provides a simplified overview of their structure and the elements of a typical competency, and outlines how these competencies are changing the field of substance use disorder treatment nationwide. The Advisory also addresses the critical role of cultural competency.
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Understanding The Core Functions Of Counseling Will Make You A Better Patient
So, what does all this information have to do with you? Youll be happy to know that, as a potential patient, its not necessary that you memorize and fully understand these core functions of counseling. That being said, by at least familiarizing yourself with these standards, you can be more proactive in your search for a substance abuse counselor and in your treatment in general. Knowing these 12 core functions of a substance abuse counselor will help you to understand whats going on over the course of your treatment, and it will allow you to ask the right questions of your counselor and to be an active and engaged participant throughout your entire treatment process.
Substance Abuse Counselor
The Regulatory Body For Substance Abuse Professionals Is The North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board
According to the NCSAPPB, in order to obtain licensure as a licensed clinical addiction specialist , candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the 12 core functions of substance abuse counseling. The 12 core functions and the specific competencies are delineated below:
1. SCREENING11. REPORT AND RECORD KEEPING12. CONSULTATION
Knowledge
Skills
1. Communication skills such as active listening, leading, summarizing, reflection, interpretation, confrontation, and self-disclosure 2. Counselor-client rapport including warmth, respect, genuineness, concreteness, and empathy 3. Individual, family and group modalities including specific techniques 4. Client assessment and referral intake, evaluation, interpretation, resources, and follow-up procedures 5. Case management and record keeping including intake, disposition, termination, follow-up, record maintenance and compliance with federal, state, local and agency confidentiality regulations.
Contact info for the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board:NCSAPPB
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Core Functions & Global Criteria
-
Determine appropriateness or eligibility to a program
- B.& nbsp
Complete required documents for admission
- C.& nbsp
Provide for the client by describing program operations
- D.& nbsp
Identify assessment tool
Treatment Planning
Client Education
Present relevant alcohol and other drug use/abuse information
- Sample Question