Intervention Workshop

Choosing treatment, choosing the right level of support, so your loved one has the greatest chance of success. Inpatient residential, intensive outpatient (IOP), halfway house or sober house. Local treatment or a national-level treatment center. Concerns with utilizing insurance. How to identify publicly-funded programs. Can Twelve Step programs be a substitute for treatment? Detox starts the treatment process, but detox is not treatment.

A guide to writing letters for an intervention, based on the book "Love First," by Jeff Jay and Debra Jay. Seven point process for writing intervention letters. Interventions should not be done off-handedly, with people making up what they want to say on the spot. Letters provide structure, and allow us to make sure that we have covered all the critical points.

Most people go to treatment on intervention day, about 85%. However, if we get a hard NO from our addicted loved one, there may be some natural consequences which will follow. At a minimum, we may look at the ways we've been enabling the problem to continue. Many alcoholics and addicts rely on their enabling system, and if the enabling stops they will usually agree to treatment within a couple weeks. Using love constructively.

In many cases, the addicts objections to treatment may be the addiction fighting for its life, almost as though the addiction is a separate person. Two types of objections. 1) Substantial objections, such as work or family commitments, scheduling problems, legal matters. 2) Insubstantial objections, such as "I don't want to," "It's not that bad," "My wife is the problem." These can be the toughest objections. The group will be able to brainstorm the right answers.

Everyone is nervous prior to the intervention. When you complete a good rehearsal process, you will feel more confident in yourselves and the process. Use your checklist. Choosing the last letter: the closer. Determine the right order for the letters to be read in. Seating arrangements. Making final edits to the intervention letters and the bottom line letters. Bottom lines are only used when necessary. Love is the key to every intervention.

The chairperson leads the intervention if there is no professional interventionist involved. Even if you have a professional, you will still want a chairperson to head the family and friends group. The chairperson should not be a spouse. The chairperson should be someone who has emotional influence with the addict. It should be someone the alcoholic is not angry at. It should be someone they respect.

Guidance and tips for the day of the intervention. Preparation is the key to success, so now the work of all the previous chapters will pay off. You must follow all directions to maximize your chances of success. Dealing with silent objections. Using bottom lines properly. Preserving everyone's dignity.

How to communicate with treatment, getting a release, delivering bottom lines in case your loved one want to abort the treatment process. How to help your loved one stay in treatment. The importance of Al-Anon. Developing a relapse agreement. Keeping the intervention team intact.

1. Our addict has just had a major crisis. Can we still intervene?

2. What if the alcoholic becomes angry during the intervention?

3. What if the addict walks out?

4. What if the alc says 'Yes, I'll go, but not today.

5. How do we act around our addict if he refuses to go to treatment?

6. What if she doesn't follow her aftercare plan after returning home?

7. What do we do if he relapses?

8. What if he threatens to hurt himself?

9. Should we go to his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with him?

10. What does it mean 'to work a program of recovery?

11. When does a family need to hire a professional interventionist?

12. How do we get the alcoholic to the location of the intervention?

13. Aren't we being deceptive?

14. What if the alcoholic doesn't show up?

15. How can you say it's a disease? Where's personal responsibility?

16. How much time do we need for the intervention?

17. How do we know what language to avoid?

18. What if someone can't attend the intervention?

19. What should we pack for treatment?

20. Can I call the person while they're in treatment?