Bianca Harvey is seeking admission to Capella University's Addiction Studies program to become a substance abuse counselor. She has witnessed family members struggle with addiction and not receive adequate help. Her father battled alcoholism and drug abuse for many years before succumbing to his addiction in 2010, motivating Bianca to work in this field. She has relevant experience from internships and volunteer work providing services to victims of domestic violence and low-income individuals. Bianca recognizes the importance of cultural competency as an addiction counselor and plans to further develop these skills through additional training and immersing herself in diverse communities.

1. Capella University Essay for Admission to the Addiction Studies Program
Bianca Harvey
bharvey7@capellauniversity.edu
June 23. 2015

2. 1. Rationale for seeking specialization in the Addiction Studies program.
This section must address:
 Your clear understanding ofthe program area, with attention to licensure/certification and the role
of an addiction treatment professional.
 The clear link between the program you selected and yourcareer goals.
Your carefully considered reasons for seeking a graduate degree in Addiction Studies. (Beyond merely
being a good listener or wanting to help others).
** Capella University Offers a flexible and comprehensive learning environment for students fromall
different walks of life. Everyone has their own set of goals; but most include completing a post-secondary degree;
whether it be an undergraduate,graduate,or doctoral level degree, all are possible and attainable here at Capella.
The Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences aspires to establish high quality learning communities
within each of its departments and across the schoolas a whole (according to the schoolof counseling’s home
webpage).
The Masters of Science in Addiction Studies program provides learners with the knowledge, competencies,
and skills necessary to become practitioner-scholars in addiction treatment delivery, service coordination, and
supervision. The curriculum emphasizes principles of addiction treatment and intervention for individuals and
groups. The curriculum also focuses on established standards and ethics of addiction professionals,including
awareness and sensitivity to the complex needs of a multi-cultural society. Successful graduates of this program are
prepared to pursue positions as addiction professionals in treatment and prevention programs, as well as in general
clinical settings where addiction professionals serve as members of a treatment team (description of MS in
Addiction Studies program quoted from Capella website).
I am aware that in the state of North Carolina, where I plan to obtain and practice my counseling licensure;
every applicant is required to complete their education and examination requirements , followed by submitting the
necessary paperwork. The first step in the process is being credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor
Associate (LPCA). Upon completion of supervised practice requirement and the applicable jurisprudence exam, one
can be promoted to Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status. There is a clear link between The Addiction
Studies program at Capella University and my prospective career as a substance abuse counselor. My main
objective in this career is to provide guidance and non-judgmental support to those clients who find themselves
battling addiction.
I wish to consult with clients and provide them with alternative skills and strategies so that they are able to
make an informed decision, when they are ready to escape their harmful, self-destructive old way of life. The AS
program will equip me with the skills and knowledge I need to evaluate clients on a case by case basis and recognize
the signs and symptoms of addictive behavior. The AS program will also prepare me for working one on one with
clients to develop a treatment plan for their particular case. The most essentialaspect of this program will be the
required hours of supervision under a licensed, practicing counseling professional. This opportunity will certainly
allow me to get adequate practice with client interaction as well as receiving feedback/critiques of my counseling
techniques from my colleagues.
There are quite a few reasons why I chose to pursue a graduate degree in Addiction Studies; one being that
this is a very personal area of concern to me because I have witnessed family members struggle with addiction and
not receive the help they needed to get well. Sadly, my father was one of the most drastic cases I witnessed as a
young child. He struggled with Alcoholism and illicit drug abuse for many years and lived most of his adult life
inside the US prison system. Upon his release from prison, he entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program but
failed to follow through and soon after relapsed. Despite various attempts to “get clean”, he finally succumbed to
his addiction in 2010 and I vowed to myself that his death would not be in vain. Therefore, it has become my

3. passion to study and work in this field and do my best to promote awareness of the issue and inform the general
public on how to access resources for those struggling with addiction. I also considermy personality to be
compatible with this profession. I am great at interacting with people; I offer reassurance when listening to someone
by making eye contact,nodding occasionally, demonstrating confident body language, and smiling to indicate that I
am following along with what is being said. I also chose to pursue this program because I have excellent skills in
conflict resolution and I would like to be able to put these skills to use in a productive environment such as that of
addiction counseling.
2. Impact of previous employment, volunteer work, and other human service or counseling experiences .
This section must address:
 Key experiences in youremployment or volunteer work that influenced your decision to apply for
the program
 If you have no experience in human services, please identify specific ways you could gain related
experience, such as volunteerwork
** I have had quite a bit of experience related to the counseling field, although not directly involved with
addiction counseling. During the summer of my freshman year of college I was offered an internship with Family
Violence and Rape Crisis Services based in Chatham County, where I also reside. At this internship I had the
pleasure of meeting some very experienced individuals within the counseling field. This non-profit agency provides
supportive services for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse who need immediate shelter, counseling
services, legal intervention, and limited financial resources. As an intern at this agency I was able to experience
emergency crisis situations involving minor children that required law enforcement agency involvement. I also was
afforded the opportunity to sit down with a victim of domestic violence and complete intake paperwork and observe
a counseling session which involved creating a self-sufficiency plan (similar to a treatment plan for an addiction
counseling client). The plan included names of emergency contacts in case of a medical emergency, a proposed
budget including the client’s total estimated expenses for the next 30 days,and a safety plan to escape the abuser
which included residing in a private shelter; whose location could not be shared with anyone not even immediate
family members.
The following volunteer opportunity occurred in the summer of 2012 as I finished my junior year of
college. I volunteered at a nonprofit human service organization in Pittsboro, NC titled Joint Orange Chatham
Community Action, Inc. The primary purpose of this organization is to seek out federal and grant monies to help
administer supportive programs to low income families and individuals. JOCCA’s services have been appraised as
such that lead to self-sufficiency, comprehensive case management, job training, employment, home weatherization,
youth restitution,and teen court. My role as a volunteerhere was geared towards career counseling as I mostly
assisted individuals with resume building, filling out job applications, and discussing interviewing tactics. This
volunteer experience also allowed me to work one on one with individuals and offer them advice according to my
post-secondary training.
Lastly, my first professional job out of college as a Family Services Coordinator at The Hispanic Liaison of
Chatham County in Siler City, NC; provided me hands on working experience in the counseling field. This
nonprofit agency mainly focuses on providing services and referrals for the Hispanic population in Chatham and
surrounding counties. Since I am bilingual (English and Spanish) I was able to communicate with clients and third
parties i.e. lawyers, medical providers, billing representatives and so forth in order to facilitate clear communication
between both parties in order to relay the message as accurately as possible. On rare occasions,I was confronted
with situations that I was unequipped to handle such as substance abuse ormental health requests; which I then had
to refer out, but the logic was similar in that I still interacted with the client, assessed theirneeds and gained
experience in assisting themto the best of my ability.
3. Culturally relevant interpersonal skills.

4. This section must address:
 Your ability, based on life experience, to relate interpersonally to individuals from different
cultural contexts (i.e. age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic
status etc.)in both individual and small group settings
 Your understanding ofthe importance of culturally relevant interpersonal skills in the role of an
addiction treatment professional/addiction counselor,and at least 2 steps you plan to take to
further the development of these skills
**Throughout my many experiences in interacting with the public. I have encountered a couple of
situations where I had to demonstrate my cultural competency skills. A particular example occurred
during my volunteerexperience at JOCCA, Inc. in Pittsboro, NC; where I had to step in as a cultural
broker for a lady who was experiencing a language and cultural barrier to access services
simultaneously. I was assigned to assist a Spanish speaking female client that entered the office
seeking assistance to apply for a VISA worker’s permit. The client confided to me that she was a
recent arrived immigrant from Guatemala, Central America. She stated that she had traveled to the US
with her two sons,leaving her husband and three daughters behind; for this reason she needed to work
and send themmoney so that they could soon travel here as well. Once we arrived at Legal Aid; I
noticed that the receptionist spoke to my client very hasty and rude at which point I spoke up and begin
to interpret for her. This showed my cultural competence as well as my empathy for my client’s
situation.
I also understand that it is critically important for an addiction counselorto be equipped with
culturally relevant interpersonal skills. In my practice, it will be critical that I study and research how
different cultures around the world perceive substance use/addiction. Some cultures may use
substancesforrecreation, while others may consume certain chemicals for ritualistic purposes. I plan
to stay abreast with new studies and research by attending at least two trainings annually; hopefully in
two different states so that I am able to travel and meet new people and continue to expand my
network. I also plan to participate in cross sectionalresearch studies in order to collect data on the
topic whenever possible.
4. Self-awareness.
This section must address:
 Life experiences that may have heightened your level of self-awareness, impacted your decision to
apply to the program, and influenced your career goals.
 The characteristic ways in which you process life events and challenges, and how those ways have
helped you develop strengths relevant to your chosen program area.
Your discussion ofself-awareness should demonstrate emotional stability and readiness to
undertake a graduate degree program in addiction treatment
**As I mentioned previously, my close familial ties to the epidemic of addiction/substance abuse is the
main reason why I chose to pursue this area of specialization. After losing my father to this 100% treatable illness; I
decided that I would live by the motto “If I can just impact at least one person’s life then I’ve accomplished my
goal”. This means that if I am able to save at least one person by encouraging them to get clean or get the help they
need then I’ll feel like I’ve done my part and that’s all that matters at the end of the day. I’ve always been self-
aware for the most part mostly due to my upbringing. My mother had me at an older age of 40; therefore she
expected me to mature faster and took it pretty harsh when I disappointed her. She often pushed me by saying that
even my best wasn’t good enough; which in turn caused me to be slightly overly self-aware slightly to the point of
self-consciousness. I always witnessed my mother be a hardworking, independent woman and in turn that image
was engrained in my mentality to be the same.
I am a diligent worker and I strive daily by a routine. I am a visual learner and I work best in sequence.
All these details bring out the best characteristics of me in the professional setting. I am easily able to adapt to

5. working in an individual or group setting. I possess great listening skills and I also gave awesome leadership
qualities such as delegating tasks,running a business meeting, making informed decisions etc. I am a very well
rounded individual who is willing to take on challenges and step outside of my comfort zone in order to gain new
skills as necessary.
5. Future professional goals in addiction treatment.
This section must address:
 Your specific career goals and the licensure/certification requirements you will need to achieve
them
 Since licensure/certification requirements vary from state to state,be specific about the
requirements in the state where you intend to work as an addiction treatment professional
**My future career goals consist of obtaining MS in Addiction Studies degree then passing
examination in order to obtain Licensed Professional Counselor Associate status. I will then
continue the steps in order to move up the ladder until I am able to practice without supervision as
a Licensed Professional Counselor. I would eventually like to open up my own private addictions
counseling practice as well. As I progress further into the program, I will research this process
more and assess my options as an entrepreneur.
North Carolina requires that a student have an undergraduate degree in a human service
or behavioral science as well as a Master’s degree in the chosen field of counseling. After
receiving a passing examination score and submitting the necessary paperwork; an applicant can
be granted the title of Licensed Professional Counselor Associate. More intense steps follow as
more advanced levels of licensure are sought after.