Interventionists

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 himself or herself or to others. Through the proven process of intervention, addicts are able to avoid the unavoidable consequences of their behavior down the line. Families and/or friends usually consult a professional interventionist when the individual who is chemically-dependent or is undergoing a crisis has consistently refused to seek help.

An interventionist helps others tackle personal issues such as alcoholism, chemical dependency, auto-mutilation, sex addiction, nicotine addiction, depression, psychological trauma and gambling, among other mental health issues. Interventions have also proven beneficial in cases involving seemingly harmless habits such as television, video game or internet addiction. A crisis interventionist debriefs victims in urgent and emergency situations and helps them to emotionally and cognitively integrate such traumatic events as: 1) a homicide, 2) a natural catastrophe, 3) workplace violence, 4) suicide or death of a close family member or employee, 5) harassment at the workplace, 6) domestic violence and/or child abuse, and 7) and employee experiencing a breakdown or manifesting a severe psychiatric problem at his or her place of employment.

According to recent studies, an addiction interventionist is as likely to be successful in persuading substance abusers to check into a mental health, treatment or rehabilitation center as addicts who seek help out of their own volition. The life-transforming process of intervention has saved many lives and restored hope, enlightenment and renewal in families ravaged by a loved one's chemical dependency. A drug and alcohol interventionist and interventionists in general play a pivotal role in halting the individual's perilous and self-destructive pattern and in providing emotional guidance to the latter through the treatment process. A professional interventionist engages in a carefully-planned, controlled and psychologically-sound “carefrontation” to convince the target individual that the discussion is driven by genuine concern on the part of his or her entourage (i.e. family, friends). Carefrontation, as opposed to confrontation, is an intervention method characterized by the usage of the pronoun "I" instead of "You' during the intervention session. Furthermore, 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 a treatment center, such as the Treatment4Addiction Center.

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 for the latter's 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 of what can be expected upon conclusion of the process. The meeting then 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 engaging in negative behavior and emphasize the substance abuse's impact on each member of the group as well as on society at large. In most cases, the presentation leads the addict to acknowledge that he has a problem, and that his behavior is giving rise to a host of issues.

An addiction interventionist is typically a trained counselor who has a thorough knowledge of the psychological and medical facets of substance abuse problems. He or she employs a reassuring and positive tone and manifests an 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 him or her 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 addiction interventionist's most commonly-employed approach and one that is applied in clinics worldwide is dubbed ARISE, or A Relational Intervention Sequence for Engagement. The amount of effort deployed by the support group during the intervention to counter the substance abuser's opposition is utilized to motivate him or her to enter a drug or alcohol treatment program. In some circumstances, a professional interventionist may remain engaged even after the patient's admission into the rehabilitation center or treatment program.