How Foundations Can Help With the Intervention Process
Does someone you love need an intervention? Are you not sure what the next step should be for helping your loved one with their substance use and mental health issues? At Foundations Recovery Network, we can help. For over 20 years, we have built relationships with seasoned professionals across the country who are committed to helping individuals with addiction and their loved ones navigate the path to recovery.
The Reality of an Intervention
There are many misconceptions out there about interventions, but the emotional scenes you might see on TV bear little resemblance to the reality. The primary goal of the intervention process is simply breaking down barriers to treatment and talking with the addicted individual about the help he or she needs.
Learn more about common misconceptions and realities related to intervention in this conversation with interventionist Brian O’Shea on the Recovery Unscripted podcast.
When your loved one has an addiction, it can leave you feeling confused, defeated, angry or frustrated. You want to help but aren’t sure how to go about it. And your emotions may get in the way. That’s why it’s helpful to have an objective, experienced professional come in who can communicate clearly and factually, providing an expert opinion and presenting treatment options in a focused way with more details and fewer distractions.
At Foundations, we work with a core group of professional interventionists hand-picked by us. They represent a variety of models, regions and price points, ensuring we have an interventionist that is right for every situation. We regularly review the interventionists we work with to make sure our select group of pros continues to meet our high standards.
How the Process Works
When you call Foundations, we start by talking with you to determine the best clinical fit for your loved one. As we look at the possible interventionists and treatment options available, there are three main areas we consider:
Clinical Approach
We want to get to know you and your situation. So, we go through a comprehensive question-and-answer session to discover which intervention approach will be the best clinical fit for each patient. A profile is created based on this conversation, and we use that profile to help us determine which interventionist would be the best match. Factors considered may include the gender, age, background and style or approach of the interventionist.
Resources
Unfortunately, intervention isn’t covered by most health insurance plans like other types of treatment may be. But in the big picture, continuing with addictive behavior can be far more costly than getting help, taking its toll financially, personally, professionally and emotionally. We work with you to determine the level of financial support your family can provide and match you with an interventionist that fits your budget.
Geography
By the time a family contacts us, the situation is often dire and help is needed immediately. Our nationwide network of interventionists allows us to connect you with someone who is already in your region or who can get to you quickly. Each of our interventionists travel and are willing to do so frequently, but using someone local could help cut costs and allow for the fastest possible response.
A Family Affair
Intervention isn’t just for the addicted individual. In fact, it is often said that intervention is only 10% for the addicted individual and 90% for the family because professionals know that everyone involved needs to grow and change during the recovery process. Codependent and enabling behaviors should be addressed so that the loved one in treatment returns home to a family system that can help and support their new life rather than sabotage long-term sobriety.
Hear from interventionist Jeff Jay, who developed the Love First model of family intervention, on this episode of the Recovery Unscripted podcast.
Interventions are also more common than you think. Anywhere from 10% to 20% of those who enter treatment do so as the result of an intervention. Those who begin this journey through an intervention have a head start because the entire family goes into the treatment process with a better understanding of how it works and the role they can each play in a successful outcome.
What Happens After Choosing the Type of Intervention?
Once the individual’s family and friends work with the professional interventionist to decide which type of intervention will best suit the individual’s recovery needs, they can then gather the group of people who will be directly involved in the intervention. They will also decide on the location, date and time of the intervention, and should create and practice a script for the meeting. This script will help the intervention members stay on track during the meeting and remind them of its focus and goals. It should contain the following information, as suggested by the Mayo Clinic:
- Clear consequences for the individual if he or she doesn’t accept treatment
- A list of specific instances when the individual’s addiction physically, emotionally or psychologically injured herself or another person
- The benefits the individual will experience from seeking addiction treatment and beginning recovery
Each person present at the intervention should have access to this script and should have a solid understanding of all of the major points of the meeting.
Listen to this roundtable discussion with interventionists on the Recovery Unscripted podcast to learn more about how the process works.
After the intervention team organizes the specific details of the intervention, they can then invite the individual to the scheduled meeting. In some models of intervention, the individual is not aware that the meeting is going to take place. In other models, the person is invited to join the meeting and is aware that an intervention is happening. The team should interact with the individual in a loving but firm manner and should follow through with the aforementioned consequences if the individual decides not to seek treatment. They should also continue to support the individual through the entire recovery process, offering encouragement as the individual works to meet his or her goals.
If you believe your loved one might benefit from starting their recovery journey with an intervention, please call our toll-free helpline today. Our admissions coordinators can help you find the right interventionist for your situation. We can also help your loved one find an individualized, comprehensive treatment program to attend after the intervention that can meet their specific physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Call us now at 615-490-9376.