Where do we start?
Different types of interventions takes different approaches. Listed below we have a sample of the interventions that we have consulted on. Although not meant to overwhelm, this list is to give you an idea that we have intervened on a variety of unhealthy behaviors and helped to get a client to receive the help that they need in order to begin to recover. Some people start out relatively normally in life, and then become addicted to medications prescribed by a doctor. Others have always experimented off and on with drugs or alcohol and have now gotten themselves in over their head. Still others aren’t addicted to substances themselves but instead exhibit addictive behaviors such as gambling, or unhealthy sex behaviors.
Does it matter what they are addicted to?
Intervention Services uses 3 primary types of interventions, listed at the bottom of the page: Crisis Interventions, Recovery Interventions, and Closure Interventions. In addition to these 3 primary types, we must also take into consideration that there are different approaches when different drugs or addictions are involved. Although not a complete list, the following is a list of the different types of interventions specific to a particular drug or addiction that we have worked with.
- Substance Abuse Addiction Intervention
- Process Addiction Interventions
- Gambling Intervention
- Self-Injury Intervention
- Video Game Interventions
- Pornography Interventions
- Mental Health Interventions
- Dual Diagnosis Interventions
- Psychiatric Medication Interventions
- Eating Disorders Interventions
- Bulimia Interventions
- Anorexia Interventions
- Life Interventions
- Abusive Relationships
- “Failure to Launch”
- Life Skills
- Faith Based Interventions
- Age Specific Interventions
- Adolescent Interventions
- Elderly Interventions
The Different Models of Interventions
There are several different Models of Interventions in current use today. The Science of Interventions is an evolving field and needs continual research to allow it to serve your family and your loved one in the best way possible.
S.M.A.R.T. Model of Interventions
The substance abusers are different, the families are different, and the solutions are different. Therefore it is important to understand that the intervention goals themselves need to be different depending on the family and the substance abuser. Intervention Services uses the S.M.A.R.T. Model of Interventions, which allows room to choose the options that best serve your family and understands that although there are differences in different addictions, there are at least 3 major types of interventions:
The 3 primary types of Interventions
1) Recovery Intervention: This type of family intervention has, as it’s end goal, active and usually life-time participation in recovery. Although most commonly using traditional approaches such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, a recovery intervention may also include Christian or faith-based alternatives such as Celebrate Recovery or other support groups. A Recovery Intervention may include many aspects of our continuum of care, including inpatient treatment followed by sober living residency for up to 6 months, followed by active participation is support group meetings, outpatient, etc. The goal of a Recovery Intervention is complete lifestyle change and dedication to recovery.
2) Crisis Intervention: A Crisis Intervention only seeks to handle the immediate unhealthy behaviors of a loved one. When a child is only experimenting in drugs, binge drinking, or maybe only showing a few signs of abuse, it can sometimes be counter-productive to have one family member dedicated towards pushing a teenager into a lifetime commitment to participation in recovery meetings, and the rest of the family thinking that this is only an unhealthy phase that must be addressed. Intervention Services uses a Systemic form of family interventions, which means that we have to work collectively as a family unit. To disintegrate the family and work against each other is one of the worst things that can occur with any intervention
3) Closure Intervention: A Closure Intervention allows a family to feel that they have done everything possible before moving on to a different stage in their life. Sometimes family members call us and they are rather blunt. “This intervention isn’t about Jim…it is about us.” Occasionally there are issues of child custody, years of alcohol and drug abuse, feelings of apathy, major illness surrounding a loved one who has “given up”, or just the understanding that the substance abuser has a short time left and we all need to know that we tried. Closure interventions are a way for a family (or family member) to become “unstuck”. Historically very powerful experiences for all involved, it is an honor for Intervention Services to help guide a family that needs an Intervention of Closure.
In essence, it is important to have an intervention service provider that is willing and able to tailor the intervention towards your needs and expected outcomes. Although we, at Intervention Services, are considered an authority on interventions, that doesn’t mean we must be inflexible. Allow us to guide you through making a choice that has the ideal solutions for your loved ones.
A brief interview can help us guide you towards the right type of intervention for your loved one
Part of the intervention process is in determining the specifics of your situation. When we begin speaking with a family member about their loved ones, we begin to ask a series of questions that will give us a rough overview of the situation. In the answers we get, we can begin to tailor the intervention, for not every intervention or type is alike. The following is a list of questions that we ask families that can help us to determine the intervention that we are going to conduct:
- Are they abusing drugs, alcohol, or both?
- Which drugs are they using?
- Are they a binge user or a daily user?
- How old is your loved one and how long have they been using/drinking?
- Do they have any prior history of treatment
- What is their recent employment history
- Are they married? Any children?
- What are their interests or hobbies?
- Do they have a history of violence?
- Are they currently taking any psychiatric medication?
- Any prior psychiatric diagnosis?
