What Is An Intervention? A Successful Drug or Alcohol Intervention


It would be preferable to have already made an appointment for the employee with the EAP. While the employee may not be forced to take advantage of the EAP services, you should make clear that it is in the employee’s best interest to use the services. However, it can be especially difficult for parents who have an adult child addicted to alcohol. After all, if the child is over 18, he or she is legally an adult and others cannot make medical decisions against that person’s will. But in spite of that, parents care for their children and are often the first ones considering an intervention.

Your intervention specialist will be able to help you figure out who should be there, who shouldn’t, and how many people should be involved in your intervention. Typically, these people make up some of the closest relationships in the person’s life and can include anyone from a spouse or partner to parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, to close friends and even co-workers or employers. It’s typically recommended for a concerned party to contact an intervention specialist to help put together the appropriate type of gathering.

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Although some agencies may have the equipment and trained personnel to administer an alcohol test, such a test would be voluntary. Most alcohol testing would probably be conducted with an evidentiary breath testing device (EBT), commonly referred to as a breathalyzer. While there are other methods of testing for alcohol, including blood or saliva tests, an EBT is the predominant method because it is less invasive and is already in use by law enforcement personnel. Law enforcement personnel on Federal property may administer alcohol tests to drivers when there is an accident or reasonable cause to do such testing. However, cause for such testing must be based on a violation of motor vehicle and traffic rules and not mandatory testing by the agency. It is generally a good practice to notify any employee who is being counseled for a performance or conduct problem about the availability of the EAP.

how to do an intervention for an alcoholic

This is when the group will prepare their letters, outline their strategy and practice. It can be overwhelming when a family or group of loved ones decide to stage an intervention, and that’s when drug intervention programs can be helpful. There are drug intervention programs https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and drug intervention services that provide resources to help loved ones as they plan and stage an intervention. “It will include the next steps that are being recommended, such as treatment, and the consequences (boundaries) if the plan presented is not followed.”

Alcohol Testing

An intervention uses peer pressure to encourage an addict to admit to his or her problem and then seek appropriate treatment. During the intervention, a group of close friends and family gather together, and the gathering is usually a surprise to the addict. Each member of the group outlines the ways in which he or she has been harmed by the addict’s addiction, pleads with the addict to seek treatment, and then lists the consequences for not seeking treatment.

how to do an intervention for an alcoholic

Other things, such as having low self-esteem or being impulsive, may raise the risk of alcohol use disorder. Contrary to what you might assume, the alcoholic does not actually pass out during these episodes. Instead, the alcoholic continues how to do an intervention for an alcoholic to function but is unable to remember what he or she has done or has been. Basically, the alcoholic simply can’t remember these episodes because the brain has either stored these memories improperly or has not stored them at all.

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For help finding an interventionist in your area, visit the website of the Association of Intervention Specialists. If you want to have a third-party person involved, you should start by looking into the Association of Interventionist Specialists. This association is a network of professionals who adhere to a strict code of ethics. Addiction is a complex disease, and many people do not want to confront their problem with drinking.

Ask other people involved to avoid enabling the destructive cycle of behavior and take active steps to encourage positive change. Treatment may include counseling, education, vocational services, family services and life skills training. For example, Mayo Clinic offers a variety of addiction services and has a comprehensive team approach to treating addiction. It’s challenging to help a loved one struggling with any type of addiction. Sometimes a direct, heart-to-heart conversation can start the road to recovery.

Over time, this can give you ulcers and chronic inflammation in your stomach, esophagus, and gut. It can also make it harder for your intestines to digest important nutrients like B12 and thiamine. Alcohol can also cause a buildup of digestive enzymes in the pancreas, leading to a condition called pancreatitis, or an inflamed pancreas. This can affect how much insulin you make, putting you at higher risk for diabetes. Heavy drinking can hamper your immune cells from fighting off viruses and bacteria. It also can harm your liver, which plays an important role in your immune system by making antibacterial proteins.

  • Social and environmental factors such as peer pressure and the easy availability of alcohol can play key roles.
  • He or she must make a choice between accepting treatment for the alcohol or drug problem and improving job performance or facing disciplinary action, up to and including removal.
  • The role of the Human Resources, or Employee Relations office in dealing with cases of substance abuse is to advise management of appropriate adverse, disciplinary, or other administrative actions which may be taken.
  • Once every member of the intervention team has had a chance to speak, the addict should be presented with detailed suggestions for a treatment plan.
  • Family members, romantic partners, business partners, and close friends are commonly involved and invested in the individual’s well-being.
  • One unfortunate result of an intervention can be a rift in family support that might otherwise provide long-term encouragement for recovery.