Basic Steps in Alcohol, Drug, and Family Intervention, Principles of Effective Interventions

How to Choose an Interventionist

There are many factors involved in choosing an interventionist. Today there are many interventionists as well as those who refer to themselves as interventionists. There are important factors to consider when choosing interventionists. At Intervention-Referral .Com (IRC)we have very carefully screened and have both professional and personal knowledge of those in our professional interventions network. The professionals work with have performed many successful drug and alcohol interventions. They are very familiar with family dynamics involved with drugs and alcohol when conducting family interventions.

Important factors to consider when choosing drug or alcohol intervention services are:

Professional Experience with Drug and Alcohol Interventions

One of the most important aspects of choosing an interventionist is professional experience with successful drug and alcohol intervention services. Although important, credentials are not always an indicator of a successful interventionists. At Interventions-Referral.Com we only refer to the most experienced as well as credentialed interventionists. Interventionists should be either certified alcohol or drug professionals, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, PhD level professionals. Regardless of the credentialing the interventionist should be experienced in a history of successful drug and alcohol interventions. Intervention-Referral.Com’s network of interventionists contains many interventionists who have conducted hundreds of successful drug and alcohol interventions.

Response Time

In working with any individual who is suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction it is extremely important to “strike while the iron is hot“ meaning to be ready quickly. Many times the desire or precipitating event for the intervention for the family, employer or loved one passes quickly. Additionally once the intervention is successfully conducted it is important for the individual to be able to access treatment as quickly as possible. For this reason it is important that the interventionists have good and long professional as well as personal relationships with treatment providers throughout the United States. It is extremely important that on a “moments notice” the interventionist can refer a person into the appropriate treatment.

Ethics and Confidentiality

Due to the continuing stigma of alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as Federal and State confidentiality laws it is of the utmost importance that privacy and confidentiality is strictly observed. Only those involved in the actual intervention should be privy to the intervention. Once a treatment provider is contacted by the interventionist for post intervention referral, confidentiality is of the utmost importance. Interventionists must be prepared to have proper release of information and consent forms available when dealing with a treatment program for the individual the intervention is being conducted on.

Some addiction and alcohol treatment programs offering intervention services refer those being intervened upon into their own treatment programs. Sometimes this is not always the best facility for the individuals. The interventionists should have no direct ties to treatment programs or other facilities where the individual may go to receive treatment. Additionally there should be no fees, gifts or incentives paid to interventionists by the treatment programs they are referring to.

Intervention-Referral.Com’s refers only to interventionists using the highest standards of ethical and privacy standards. All interventionists used by IR are reviewed for any possible conflicts of interest or citations by state or federal regulatory bodies.

Geographic Location

If possible it makes the most sense time-wise and cost to use an appropriate interventionists geographically as close as possible to where the intervention is to take place. There is no need to wasted money paying expenses and wasting time to fly someone across the country to facilitate an intervention. IR network of interventionists are geographically strategically located throughout the United States.

Costs

• Paying for Travel Expenses
• Being Billed Hourly or a Global Fee
• Cancellation Fees
• Post Intervention Treatment Fees

Interventions can run anywhere from $500.00 to $15,000.00 or more. Cost is not usually an indicator of success of the intervention. It’s networks of interventionists are reviewed and evaluated for appropriate and responsible cost and billing to the family or employer of the individual being intervened upon.

Ability for Interventionists to Rapidly Enter the individual into Appropriate Treatment

Once an intervention takes place and the individual intervened upon is willing to go into treatment, it is of the utmost importance that this takes place as rapidly as possible. Often the interventionists will accompany the individual to treatment themselves. An appropriate treatment program should be notified prior to the intervention so as as to make sure to make sure there is space available and the financial arrangements are already agreed upon. A good interventionists should be aware of funded not-for-profit programs as well as private self-pay treatment programs. Interventionists within IR’s network have ready access to treatment programs meeting the ability to pay for any individual having and intervention conducted on them.

Follow up Services

It is important what happens after the intervention as well as before the intervention. An intervention is extremely emotionally trying for all individuals involved. There should be a proper debriefing, decompressing and closure time for the participants of the intervention. This should be done by the interventionist themselves or by referral to private of family counselors familiar with chemical dependency and family systems.

Basic Steps in Alcohol, Drug, and Family Intervention, Principles of Effective Interventions