INTERVENTION SERVICES
What is an intervention?
An intervention is a strategic, organized approach to engaging an individual with a serious drug or alcohol problem who has been resistant to help. When carried out correctly, an intervention is more than just a confrontation: it is a compassionate, pragmatic tool to reach a person suffering from the isolation, denial and destruction of chemical dependency. The alcoholic or addict rarely invents a solution for his problem -otherwise he would just halt his addictive behaviors. There is also belief that a person must "hit bottom" before intervention is called for and he’ll accept treatment. This is not true. There is no single definition of "bottom" that applies to everyone and it can be a tragic waste of valuable time to wait for an addict to reach that undefined state - which, for so many, turns out to be death. The only failure in trying to help a suffering addict is the failure to act.
The intervention process is also calculated to engage the other people in an addict’s life who care about him, such as family, friends or an employer, and harness the power of numbers to prepare him for treatment and recovery. An effective intervention builds motivation in the afflicted individual to make the right choice while, at the same time, laying out the consequences should he decide to continue making bad choices. Life teaches us that one cannot make an addict accept help and get sober, but those around him have control over their own actions if he rejects help. For this reason, an intervention is often a last resort by those who care about an addict and when all else has failed in their efforts to help him.
Why use The Right Door for an intervention?
The public witnesses depictions of interventions on television and in the popular media. In concept, an intervention appears deceptively simple and straightforward: gather a group of people around an alcoholic, tell him how you feel and what he needs to do. The reality is that an effective intervention requires preparation, participation and no small amount of skill and experience to pull off successfully. It is a tough, uncomfortable task to address, a chore that a loved one or significant person close to the addict is often reluctant or unable to take on. A professional interventionist not only builds motivation in the addict for change but in those around him, too. The trained, experienced staff of The Right Door can assemble all the right pieces that make up a solid intervention and carry it out properly without the experience turning into an ambush or group attack. A person with a serious substance abuse problem is well defended against accepting help, indeed is trapped inside the fortress of his illness, and the interventionist uses his skills and the power of the group to influence the addict to lower his drawbridge.
For most addicts, the appropriate outcome of an intervention is treatment, and a Right Door interventionist knows what the right options are for the particular individual. Having the treatment option ready and waiting for the addict immediately when he makes his decision is a vital component of this process. But treatment alone is not the answer for most people - it is only the first of many steps. A realistic, long term aftercare plan for sobriety and recovery is essential to prevent relapse and help the individual live a normal, healthy life, free of alcohol and drugs. The Right Door is expert at aftercare and follow-up services when the addict graduates from in-patient treatment. An individualized, abstinence-based case management plan will be set up before graduation day so that the therapeutic beginnings which began in rehab will continue seamlessly back in the community where the person in early recovery resides.
How can I find out more about interventions?
Contact The Right Door at (970) 925-2662 and ask to speak with intervention staff. The Right Door is a community-based non-profit organization, so our fees for an intervention are very reasonable. Two good books we recommend on this topic are Love First by Jeff & Debra Jay (Hazelden, 2000) and Heart to Heart by Ed Storti (Carlton Press, 1995).Thank you for your donation!
The Right Door | PO Box 10825 | Aspen CO 81612 | (970) 925-2662
The Right Door is a 501 (c) (3) public non-profit organization
Tax ID # 77-0650593