West Grove Clinic

Jim Harrison, BS, MS, CSAC, NCGC-II

For the past ten years, I have been an AODA and Gambling Addiction Counselor, doing both individual and group counseling sessions at various clinics.  My accreditations and certifications include being a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and Professional Counselor (PC) licensed with the State of Wisconsin, and a National Certified Gambling Counselor, Level II (NCGC-II).

My professional training includes a BS Degree in Biology (Secondary Education) and an MS Degree in Curriculum and Supervision from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. In addition to having  over 30 years of teaching and counseling experience, I have written curriculums on substance use disorders, gambling, STD and HIV/AIDS education, human growth and development, environmental education, as well as presenting these topics at various professional and educational conferences and workshops.   My treatment specialties include substance use disorders, OWI offenders, alternatives to revocation (ATRs), pre-sentence investigations (PSIs), OWI assessments, and gambling addiction counseling.  I am also a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) monitor.  My approach to treatment is non-judgmental, non-shaming, and non-labeling.  I believe that group therapy is one of the more important aspects of treatment and recovery.  We can learn from each other's mistakes as well as from our successes.  Group can also be one of our major support systems and networks.

In addition to my teaching and counseling background, I am a percussionist, having played with numerous concert bands, concert orchestras, rock and jazz bands, as well as drum circles.  I use drum circles as an alternative and non-conventional approach to recovery.

My professional affiliations include the Wisconsin Association for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (WAAODA), the Wisconsin Association for Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselors (WAADAC), the National Association for Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselors (NAADAC), the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling (WCPG), the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), and the Alliance For Recovery Advocates (AFRA).

During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife Sandi and our cocker spaniel Kassie.  My hobbies also include music, kayaking, traveling, sports, cooking, gardening, nature, cultures, and ethnicities. 

Classes offered:

-Adult Family & Friends Support Group
-Problem Gambling Treatment Program
-Drum Circles