What is an Intervention Specialist?

An interventionist is an alcohol and drug counselor who has specialized training in the intervention process. The intervention process is meant to literally intervene with the self-destructive behavior of the person in question and prevent them from doing any more damage to themselves or those around them. An intervention specialist organizes the family, friends and loved ones and offers advice hours or even days before the confrontation to ensure an effective intervention. Having the right intervention specialist means that you are comfortable with him and trust his advice and process.

An interventionist in general handles alcohol interventions and drug abuse interventions but professional drug interventions can also be very specific in areas like drug intervention in the workplace , drug intervention for teens and juvenile intervention specialists or even intervention strategies for children of alcoholic parents. He or she will be your drug intervention guide offering the topics of family intervention for addiction.

How to hold an intervention for a family member

Very few people know how to do an alcohol intervention or drug interventions. The goal is intervention for drug addict rehabilitation and treatment which involves research and education on the part of the family. This is where a professional interventionist is required to keep the discussion on the right track to recovery and prevent loved ones from falling into old reactions and behaviors that are not in the best interest of recovery.

An intervention for a family member should include friends and even important co-workers. Anyone who is important to the drinker or drug user and who is affected by his or her destructive behavior should be included in the intervention.

Making these arrangements can become complicated and an intervention specialist can help organize the time required for the pre-intervention meeting with the participants and deciding on the right location and opportunity to come together. Interventions can be held in the drinker’s home, at their office or in the home of a loved one. Anywhere that is safe and comfortable for the participants.

Alcohol Intervention What to say

Your professional interventionist will establish through initial interviews the urgency of the problem and the required steps. What you would say to an older friend with a heavy drinking problem is much different than what you would say to your teenage daughter who is smoking speed and dropping out of school to live with her boyfriend.

Simple interventions are based around asking the person to stop drinking and using drugs. Bringing the problem into the light and making the drinker aware that his or her behavior is negatively affect others. Most interventions, even crisis interventions start in this simple manner in an effort to judge with willingness and openness of the drinker or drug user.

Crisis interventions are conducted when drinking and drug use as created self-destructive behavior that has resulted in or is about to result in tremendous loss. Crisis interventions can be extremely effective after a recent arrest, DUI, car crash and physical injury. When the consequences are fresh and painful it is often easier to find the right things to say and the drinker or drug user is often more willing to listen.

Topics of Family Intervention for Addiction

Alcoholism and drug addiction are family diseases. Destructive behavior has often gone on for years and families develop particular coping mechanisms that up to this point have not been successful in changing the drinking or drug behavior. Topics of family intervention for addiction and alcohol abuse include introducing the family to the benefits of family counseling, individual counseling and/or self-help groups.

Other topics for family intervention involve educating the family on the nature of alcoholism and drug addiction and understanding the often confusing behaviors that surround the condition. The family and loved ones often don’t understand their role in supporting or enabling the behavior when every ounce of them wants the drinker or drug abuser to stop. Education of family and loved ones is important to the intervention and critical for long term treatment and sobriety.