How to become an Interventionist like A&E’s Intervention show (Vance Johnson did it through us!)
Why Intervention Training May Be Right for You
Have you ever watched the A&E Network’s ‘Intervention’? It used to be one of my favorite shows to watch in my free time. One of those reasons is because of the legitimacy of the show. An even bigger attraction to the show of mine is the fact that no only have I dealt with addictions of loved ones such as family members and friends, seeing death as a result in some cases; But also, the struggles I have had of my own with drug and alcohol addiction. I have put myself through the wringer; Including hospitals, jailtime, homelessness, mental illness, physical health problems and more, all as a result of my drinking and drugging. I’ve been through sober living homes (aka halfway houses), counseling, abstinence-based programs such as alcoholics anonymous and many other ventures through recovery. Personally, I have not had an intervention presented to me for my own benefit, but I have personally seen the benefits of such the method of helping an addict or alcoholic like myself get into a treatment program. So, what exactly is an intervention you ask?
Well for starts, an intervention is for those whose substance abuse disorder, whether it’s drugs, alcohol or compulsive behavior has caused devastation in their own life and in the lives of those around them, such as family, friends, colleagues, and so on. It can mean the difference between life and death when a person is has met rock bottom with no hope left in their life as a result of their mental illness or purely a consequence of the terrible cycle of addiction. It could be the one thing that as a result, they decide to go to treatment, rather than going back out that same day and dying of an overdose, a drunken car accident, or any of the insurmountable number of tragedies that occur every day in our country because of the epidemic of addiction. In fact, more than 95,000 people die from excessive alcohol use in the U.S. each year. And in 2019, over 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses.
So, how does an intervention work? Interventions typically include a mental health focus, since mental health usually play a role with addiction. Interventions are for the most part, organized by friends and family to help a person in crisis. They can change your loved one’s life drastically. A Certified Intervention Professional can help de-escalate stress and guide your loved one towards a decision to enter treatment. The benefits to intervention include getting the person into the right treatment program, showing strong support for your loved one, the concerned family members or friends will be educated on what to expect, those concerned will be able to follow the progression of their loved one’s recovery, and they will be guided on planning for aftercare.
Here are some of the steps included in the average intervention:
- The friend or family member will call a coordinator who will answer their questions and get background information on the loved one including mental health issues that may coincide with their addiction.
- A clinical professional will follow up with the friend or family member to answer additional questions and discuss the service or program that will work best for the struggling person’s needs.
- Once it has been decided that an intervention will take place, you (interventionist) will begin to look at treatment options with the family or concerned friend. A discussion on what will be said to the loved one during the intervention will be had.
- Once an agreement on the best type of treatment has been made, the intervention will be scheduled. The intervention usually takes place in a family member’s home or the loved one’s home.
- The day before the intervention happens, the intervention professional will have a meeting with the family and the transporter who will be taking the loved one to treatment.
- The intervention takes place.
After the intervention, the Interventionist will stay in touch with the family, providing progress on their loved one’s recovery and continue to work with the person in treatment and the team providing the care.
Dr. Cali Estes and The Addictions Academy offer their Nationally Certified Intervention Professional Training (NCIP) course that covers everything mentioned above and so much more. There are two different options for taking this course. One is a video based online self-study with supervision. The other is a live virtual classroom, or webinar, with supervision as well. You will learn skills such as how-to setup an entire intervention, body language techniques, business interventions, legal and ethical sides of intervention, family versus individual intervention, where to have the intervention, how to get clients and many more. There are no prerequisites to take the course and it includes case management training if you decide you’d like to take insurance for interventions as a payment method for your services.
The Addictions Academy offers many more courses, in fact over 30 of them for professions in the addictions field to help with virtually any and every aspect of addiction to drugs and alcohol and mental health issues. Harm Reduction Models are used, as well as many other alternatives to inpatient and outpatient treatments and other traditional models of the like. Sober on Demand is another service offered by Dr. Cali Estes, where you may train to be a Sober Companion or hire a Sober Companion if you or a loved one needs help with addiction. Recovery Coach, Life Coach, Food Addiction Coach are also services offered by The Addictions Academy, just to name a few. If you’d like to become a coach, therapist, counselor, prison reentry coach, or other, you can reach out to Dr. Cali Estes and The Addictions Academy by visiting their website, http://theaddictionsacademy.com, or by calling 1.800.706.0318 Ext2. All services offered by The Addictions Academy are 100% Confidential. You can learn more by checking out the links listed below!
Learn more about Nationally Certified Intervention Professional Training (NCIP) by The Addictions Academy HERE.
References:
https://www.aetv.com/shows/intervention
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
