Interventions are a great way for friends and family members of someone struggling with addiction to show they care while incentivizing your loved one to get help.
Two most common intervention styles to consider in your planning are:
- Johnson Model: The most used intervention style in the United States is the Johnson Model [1]. Its design entails at least one person planning an intervention that shows support and love while encouraging enrollment in a treatment program. The goal is to offer the person consistent support in their recovery journey.
- Family Systemic Intervention: When a person suffers from addiction, it impacts all the relationships in their life. Family Systemic Interventions gathers the family to plan how they will seek help as a unit.
Step-by-Step Intervention Guide
- Seek Support: It’s important not to plan an intervention alone. Contact family, friends, and those close to you to make them aware of what you’re planning. You may also want to consult with a professional such as a doctor or social worker.
- Form a Team: Recruiting others to form a team will typically involve family, friends, and coworkers coming together to map out what needs to be done to help. A professional interventionist or medical professional may also become a part of your intervention team.
- Plan it Out: Work together to map out a specific date, time, and location of your intervention, who will be present, and each person’s role on the scheduled day. Choose what approach your group will utilize and draft an outline for each step.
- Seek Knowledge: It’s essential to learn about addiction and recovery before discussing it with someone who needs assistance. Create a running list of programs, services, and facilities that suit the specific circumstance of the person struggling.
- Draft Personal Statements: Sharing personal statements provides an opportunity to express how deeply you care and help your loved one see the harmful consequences of their actions. Be sure to remain honest and open, focusing on positivity, love, and compassion.
- Offer Help & Strategies: Leverage the knowledge you’ve acquire to help your loved one decide what kind of treatment options exist and what may work best for them. Tell them how each person present in the intervention can assist them along their journey.
- Establish Boundaries: To minimize behaviors that enable and maintain your loved one’s substance use, establish boundaries must occur. Help your loved one understand that relationships will change if they do not seek the support the group is recommending.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Gathering your team and rehearsing before the scheduled date can help you ensure you stay on track to meet every goal when the intervention day arises, as emotions will be running high.
- Prepare for Their Response: Understand that it may take your loved one a bit of time to understand what is happening. They may also outright refuse the help on offer, and it is important to manage expectations realistically.
- Follow Up: No matter their response, make sure to stay true to whatever your intervention plan outlined. If your loved one chooses to seek help, offer your promised support. If not, follow through on whatever consequences the group discussed.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and are looking for available support, reach out to our team of compassionate and knowledgeable advisors today.
