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Roles and Responsibilities of Intervention Specialists
In "Training Families to do a Successful Intervention: A Professional's Guide" the Johnson Institute,
a pioneer in intervention research and training, outlines six steps in an effective intervention.
A professional interventionist, or facilitator, is responsible for the following:
- Assess the situation
- Help clients make a preliminary assessment of the effects that alcohol/drug use is
having on all concerned
- Help clients (family or concerned others) look at their own use of chemicals
- Help clients determine where there are value conflicts
- Help clients identify their readiness for intervention
- Help clients understand the power/leverage involved
- Educate the family or concerned persons about the disease of chemical dependence
- How the disease progresses
- How the disease affects the lives of those who are closest to the user
- How delusion, denial, and enabling cause the disease to get worse
- The basic principles of intervention
- Provide information about the intervention process and available help
- Reduce anxiety and increase likelihood of success
- Research and contact treatment providers
- Deal with HMO's, Managed Care, or insurance restrictions
- Focus on immediate treatment
- Prepare the family or concerned persons to do the intervention
- Provide counseling and support
- Make referrals to Al-Anon for relatives and friends
- Decide who will participate in the intervention
- Prepare information to be used in the intervention
- Select a treatment program and make arrangements
- Rehearse the intervention
- Decide where and when to hold the intervention and arrange the addicted individual's participation
- Facilitate the structured intervention process
- Get all participants (except the abuser) to the meeting early
- Confirm arrangements for the treatment program
- Take care of other contingencies
- Prevent disruptions or distractions during the intervention
- Review the agenda
- Arrange proper seating
- Prepare participants for the sequence of events
- Make sure the abuser agrees not to respond until all group members have finished their statements
- Control the pace of the meeting
- Convey empathy to the abuser
- Watch out for enabling by the family or concerned persons
- Listen for "surrender words," or subtle signs of willingness to acceptance of treatment
- Help the family or concerned persons evaluate the session and make decisions about their future.
- Reinforce that intervention is a process not an event
- List observations and feelings
- Stop enabling the use of alcohol/drugs
- Avoid getting caught up in denial and dysfunctional behavior
- Describe feelings and summarize what has been learned and been gained
- Make arrangements for final meeting to begin closure to this phase
- Inform those that did not participate about the outcome
- Support participants decision about their own health and recovery
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