This month, I’ve chosen to dedicate my blog to Interventions. If I think back just 10 years ago, the intervention process was known by only a handful of people and the public was not informed. With the advent of the TV show, “Interventions”, became public knowledge and commonality so did the proliferation of interventionists, trainings and books. Like all embryonic professions the styles, ethics and role of an interventionist has become a hot topic.
On a personal note, I was first introduced to formal interventions by a gentleman, Dr. Frank Picard, who long ago penned the book Family Intervention in opposition to Vern Johnson’s classic book. As a lecturer at SDSU, I was given the task of developing the inaugural mandated three-unit graduate school course for social work and other related master degree candidates that focused on substance abuse. In doing so, I relied on community partners to bring people in to guest lecture.
This was the time, at least in Southern California, when the Minnesota Model was held in high esteem and Hazelden was thought as the leader in the field. Betty Ford was just starting, and in San Diego, Scripps McDonald Center was considered a leader. Folks from Minnesota were heavily recruited. One evening a good friend and colleague, Ed Lacey brought to my classroom, Dr. Frank Picard, who at the time was the Director of a private treatment center named Springbrook in Oregon. As he spoke my mouth dropped open, he must of read my mind, knew my family. I was intrigued with what he had to say, how he perceived this important family work. I recall listening to him with the reassure that I had found my calling. I was great in times of crisis, loved drama and intrigue, and had a deep desire to help people become all they could be. I was hooked from that moment on and had the good fortune of some tutelage from him on intervention cases. He, of course, did a variation on the Surprise Method and so my early years of practice utilized that methodology.
Something did not feel right to me, and over time I adopted an invitational family systems approach. I also transitioned from a solo practitioner to a person who employs a team approach when performing interventions and joined intervention national groups, Network of Independent Interventionists and the Association of Intervention Specialists as I believe there is honor and synergy which comes from professional affiliation. Along the way, I developed my own processes and had the good fortune of taking several intervention courses, reading everything written as well as having the benefit of training in other modalities.
Simultaneously, the substance abuse field exploded with the development of hundreds of treatment centers and it appeared that there were interventionists on every street corner trying to help wounded families. Interventionists were like the Wild Wild West little credentialing and little training. There are of course standout trainers in the field, Ed Storti, Jeff and Deborah Jay, Ken Seeley, John Southworth, Judith Laundau , Patti Pike and, of course, Brad Lamm to name a few.
Working with wounded trauma-ridden folks is a serious business. Interventionists are charged with helping loved ones and their families get the help they need in a compassionate, caring ethical manner. Folks call upon interventionists when their hope is dashed. Admissions and business development professionals often refer to interventionists when they cannot close a sell, when the presenting problems are just too darn complicated. Interventionists are charged with creating possibility and hope for folks ravaged by mental health and substance abuse disorders in a humane, systemic way designed to help all those involved.
Over the years, I’ve seen many courses developed from suspect places. When Brad Lamm asked me to co- facilitate his trainings this year, I thought long and hard, and said “yes”. Brad’s approach most closely resembles my own and has the ethical underpinnings I am comfortable with. Make no mistake: I do not believe a three-day course turns you automatically into an interventionist. It does, however, arm you with knowledge and information on how the process works, exposes you to different approaches, and provides a springboard if you choose to do more work and supervision as you develop your skills. It also helps if you are in admissions, marketing, part of the clinical team or in general are interested in how this fits within patient/ outpatient treatment and after-care. To learn more about the San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles and Detroit trainings, go here.
Benefits to an Intervention Team
As for myself, I do not conduct interventions alone. I always work with a team mate, often with Jeffrey Merrick,Esq., and have brought in from time-to-time board certified addiction medicine psychiatrists, psychologists, private detectives and security as needed. I will also give to my colleagues interventions that are not the right fit for me, that someone else is better suited for based on their areas of expertise.
What are your thoughts on this important topic? I invite you to comment and join with me as we continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve!