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Jim
Martin, ASCW, NCACII
MAADAC Treasurer
Jim
Martin is the Treasurer of MAADAC
and President of:
Jim
Martin Consulting
31665 S. Hill Blvd.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
Jim
Martin says he's a late bloomer.
Maybe so, but he sure did produce a
lot of blossoms after he started
flowering.
Consider his garden of academic
achievements: Since 1970, he's
gotten his MSW, CSW, CACII, MAC,
EMDR and CEAP. And that's only the
beginning of his accomplishments.
He's put all that education to good
use in various ways but always in
service to others, including his
heavy involvement in MAADAC since it
started in 1975.
Even though Martin was in the midst
of a successful career in 1970 as a
fire chief for the Detroit Fire
Department, he says his life really
began that year. "Aug. 28,
1970." He says the date with
reverence. "That's my sobriety
date. Everything started from there.
Recovery is the reason my life is
what it is today pure and
simple."
Martin started college in 1970 (it
took him nine and a half years to
get his degrees). In 1976, as a
result of his recovery and his
academic work, he was asked to
establish the Detroit Fire
Department's employee assistance
program. "Our EAP was unique in
that we had our own weekly groups at
the fire stations plus AA meetings
six days a week that were open to
the public, too."
After several years of working with
firemen and their families, Martin
branched out in 1985 by doing some
part-time outpatient work at
Westside Mental Health. He retired
from the fire department in 1994
with 32 years of service, 17 of them
as Director of the Personal Guidance
Unit (the department's name for it
EAP). A year before that, he moved
from practicing at Westside to
River's Bend in Troy, where he now
works with those who have addiction,
family, marital and other mental
health issues. He also does
workshops nationwide and consults
with businesses that need expertise
in employee assistance addiction and
crisis-related matters.
Martin is perhaps uniquely qualified
to provide guidance on critical
incidents because of his years with
the fire department and the
specialized work he did there. In
1989, he developed and directed the
first critical incident stress
debriefing (CISD) team. He developed
his own training manual and training
format and now helps private
industry in this area, as well.
This is only one of his areas of
knowledge. He also does trainings on
assessment and treatment planning;
intervention techniques;
certification case presentation
methods for the CACII exam; stress
management; and transition, change
and loss. He also teaches a 15-week
basic course in employee assistance
at Detroit Mercy College.
Martin is equally accomplished in
his volunteer life. He has served in
several capacities on both the
national Employee Assistance
Professionals Association and
Greater Detroit Chapter boards for
more than 20 years. And, as noted
before, he's been an active member
of MAADAC and NAADAC for as many or
more years. He now serves as
MAADAC's Treasurer and has been on
the state board most years since
1975, including the terms during
which he served as President. In
addition, he served on the national
board as Secretary and as Midwest
Regional Vice President and ran for
national President. "I didn't
win because somebody up there was
looking out for me," he says
now with the wisdom that's gained
from time and distance. He presently
serves as a commissioner on the
national certification board.
In his typically, genuinely humble
manner, he says, "MAADAC's done
more for me than I've done for
MAADAC. I've benefited from the
trainings, the statewide connections
and the support I get from my fellow
associates."
Martin's personal life revolves
around Xenia, his wife of 29 years,
his son and daughter-in-law, AA,
physical fitness activities, golf
and travel. His first wife died
after they had been married 11
years. Martin's son from that
marriage is 38 and an engineer now
living in Cincinnati after working
10 years in Japan, where he married
a Japanese woman.
Martin and Xenia traveled to Japan
to visit their son, one of many
trips the couple has enjoyed. Maybe
Martin's early-life stint in the
Navy left him with a lingering case
of the travel fever. "It's
amazing to me when I look at the map
and see where I've been. There are
very few states I haven't been
to." Oregon is one of those
states, but Martin says that deficit
will be remedied when he goes there
for the next national NAADAC
meeting.
"And I'm an exercise
freak," he admits. He does
aerobics and run/walks and practices
good nutrition and healthy habits.
He also spends considerable time and
energy going to 12-step meeting and
sponsoring people when he's asked to
do so. "My primary purpose is
to stay sober and to help other
alcoholics. Recovery led me into
this field and my present life.
Without it, I'd still be fighting
fires or dead."
It's a good thing he lives a healthy
life. He has much to do. "I
expect to stay involved until the
day I die. I have no complaints
whatsoever. You can sit at home and
be sad and depressed and angry at
the world or you can get out there
and live life. And I say enjoy life.
It's not a dress rehearsal."
This
profile by Editor Susan Hipsley
appeared in the MAADAC Counselor,
Fall 2002.
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