Interventionists, also known as crisis interventionists, drug and alcohol interventionists or family interventionists, have been a lifeline for countless families and individuals facing the demons of substance abuse or coping with a traumatic incident. Generally, interventionists are sought out when an individual becomes an imminent threat to themselves or to others.
Crisis and Addiction Intervention
An interventionist assits people in making the decision to get help and address a problem in their life. People usually consult a professional interventionist when the individual who is chemically dependent or undergoing a crisis has consistently refused to seek help. The most common interventions are addiction and crisis interventions.
- Alcoholism
- Chemical dependency
- Auto-mutilation
- Sex addiction
- Nicotine addiction
- Depression
- Psychological trauma
- Gambling addiction
- Television, Internet or video game addiction
According to recent studies, an addiction interventionist significantly increases the chance of persuading chemically dependent individuals to check into a mental health, treatment or rehabilitation centers. The intervention process has saved many lives and restored hope, enlightenment and renewal in families ravaged by a loved one’s chemical dependency.
- Homicide
- Natural catastrophe
- Workplace violence
- Suicide or death of a close family member or employee
- Harassment at the workplace
- Domestic violence and/or child abuse
- Employee experiencing a breakdown or manifesting a severe psychiatric problem related to employment
Interventionists
An addiction interventionist is typically a trained counselor who has a thorough knowledge of the psychological and medical facets of substance abuse problems. They employ a reassuring and positive tone with unwavering resolve and clear intention. In the highly-sensitive process, an interventionist performs the role of mediator, moderator and facilitator by controlling the session and guiding the conversation between the addict and support group.
A professional interventionist is skilled at transforming the group’s chaos into cohesiveness and helping it focus on the objective of obtaining the addict’s consent to immediate alcohol or drug rehabilitation at an outpatient, in-patient or residential treatment center. The aim is to shatter the addict’s self-denial mechanism and to get them on the road to recovery. The interventionist’s mission is to obtain a sort of binding commitment from the prospective patient to quickly seek professional help or treatment.
The Pre-Intervention Process
Trained, experienced and certified interventionists are in charge of organizing, facilitating and mediating this conversational process in a constructive, impartial, structured and calm atmosphere. Prior to the intervention session, an addiction interventionist makes a detailed presentation of the substance abuse rehabilitation program and recovery process. He or she assists the support group to locate the most suitable treatment center for the prospective patient and arranges admission to the selected program.
The professional interventionist then schedules the time and place for the intervention and preps the participants on the content of their statements during the process. Specifically, interventionists educates group members on how to maximize receptivity of their message on the part of the addict and increase the likelihood that the individual will accept the proposed treatment.
Family and/or friends are taught to communicate their concerns in a blame-free, constructive and empathetic manner. The interventionist then sets forth the agreed-upon consequences in the event that the addict refuses treatment and informs the group of the post-intervention possibilities and what can be expected upon conclusion of the process.
The Intervention
The meeting takes place between the interventionist, group members and individual concerned. During the conversation, family members and/or friends express their refusal to continue watching the addict self-destruct and engage in negative behavior. The support group emphasizes how the substance abuse has impacted each of their lives. In most cases, the presentation leads the addict to acknowledge that they have a problem and that their behavior is giving rise to several issues.
“Carefrontations”
A drug and alcohol interventionist plays a pivotal role in halting the individual’s self-destructive pattern and provide emotional guidance through the treatment process. A professional interventionist engages in a planned, controlled and psychologically sound carefrontation to convince the target individual that the discussion is driven by genuine concern.
Carefrontation, as opposed to confrontation, is an intervention method characterized by the usage of the pronoun I instead of You during the intervention session. Participants attribute the harmful behavior that is addressed during the intervention to the addiction or mental health issue rather than to the substance abuser or individual engaged in auto-destruction. Recent research shows that when properly-executed, interventions boast a 90-95% success rate in convincing addicts to enter treatment.