OUR PROGRAMS

Intervention

 

Interventions have a much higher success rate when done under the guidance of a Licensed Intervention Specialist.  Right Turn CEO,  Woody Giessmann, is a Board Registered Interventionist II with the Association of Intervention Specialists Credentialing Board (AISCB). Using a combination of compassionate, first-hand understanding of addiction, and specialized skill, Woody has gently guided many families through successful interventions.

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An intervention is often portrayed simply as family members and friends coming together to confront an addict and urge them to seek drug intervention services and/or alcohol intervention services. This is, in fact, only part of the process. What precedes the actual intervention is just as important.

 It starts with a phone call. A family member reaches out for help. The family and friends of the addict then come together for an intake meeting with a trained interventionist.  Important information about the chemically dependent individual is shared in this preliminary meeting.  What kind of a life is the addict living. And where? Are they homeless? On the streets? Or are they still reasonably “high functioning” and still capable of working and earning a living?  Are they capable of self-care?  What substance are they using, and how often? How has their health been effected? How has the family been effected? These are the kinds of questions a trained interventionist will ask to prepare for the intervention and to determine whether drug intervention services will be required, alcohol intervention services, or a combination of both.

Although the addict’s need for professional help may be obvious to all, family members often have emotional hurdles to cross before the intervention can be successful. It is common, for example, for family members and loved ones to hold onto the idea that they should, or still could “fix” the addict. They may be in denial that the problem is really as serious as it is.  They may have “given up”  -- believing that if the addict wasn’t willing to go for help in the past, another effort is futile.  Or the opposite – they think the problem will fix itself in time without the need for professional help. A trained interventionist will help the family work through issues, develop intervention strategies, boundaries, and possible ultimatums for the addict. Often, multiple family members will write letters to be read during the intervention expressing their feelings and concerns. Sometimes, one individual will be chosen as the family’s spokesperson.  Whatever strategies are agreed upon, having a collaborative team gives the intervention the best possible chance of success.

The goal is to present a chemically dependent person with the realities of their addiction, and evidence of its effect on the lives of those who love them.  Interventions are considered successful when they result in the addict recognizing the need for help and agreeing to enter – and often be physically escorted to – the appropriate treatment program.  Drug intervention services which may include Suboxone treatment,  alcohol intervention services or supported housing, are among the possibilities.