Healing the Core of Addiction Intervention

Many families do not know how to help their loved ones get the treatment they need to heal from substance use disorder (SUD). Intervention services provide families with essential resources and guidance from recovery specialists. According to Systematic Reviews, “Working with family members to promote the entry and engagement of substance misusers into treatment” has the potential to improve outcomes for individuals with SUD. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab offers intervention services and other support for families struggling to address addiction.

What Is an Intervention?

An intervention is when a group of people come together to encourage a loved one to seek professional treatment for their condition. Interventions may be facilitated by an addiction recovery or mental health professional, friends, family members, or colleagues. Studies have shown that “interventions for substance abuse problems have been used for many years by alcohol and drug counselors, social workers, psychologists, physicians, and nurses, and by social service agencies, hospital emergency departments, court-ordered educational groups, and vocational rehabilitation programs.” Addiction recovery experts at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab have many success stories underscoring the effectiveness of their intervention process.

The Importance of Personalized Interventions

Personalized intervention strategies often prompt people to participate in rehabilitation and improve the effectiveness of treatment. According to the previously mentioned study, “[I]nterventions are research-proven procedures for working with individuals with at-risk use and less severe abuse behaviors and can be successful when transported into specialist treatment settings and performed by alcohol and drug counselors.” Personalizing treatment ensures clients feel heard, understood, and supported. People are more likely to take the advice of professionals and loved ones if they feel respected during the intervention process.

Transportation Services

People often go directly from an intervention to treatment. Avoiding a delay stops individuals from finding ways to talk themselves out of necessary treatment. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab offers transportation services to ensure people can quickly access treatment services after a successful intervention. Families can collaborate with the care team to ensure their loved one has a smooth transition from their home to the facility.

Fundamentals of Family Interventions at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Mike Torricelli, the Senior Admissions Counselor, and Kevin Schroeder, the Admissions Director at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, have over 30 years of combined experience facilitating successful interventions. Torricelli has been a part of over 700 interventions and shares his expertise with the loved ones of individuals struggling with SUD. The core principles behind Exclusive Hawaii Rehab’s Intervention philosophy are dignity, love, and careful preparation. Fundamentals of a family intervention include:

• Planning and preparation
• Educating the family
• Expressing concern and love
• Offering a treatment plan
• Setting boundaries
• Maintaining calmness
• Rehearsing responses

Below are brief descriptions of each fundamental aspect of family interventions.

Planning and Preparation

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their circumstances and condition. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab conducts interventions with understanding and a nonjudgmental approach to ensure people feel valued and supported. Clinicians prioritize a compassionate and empathetic approach to intervention and treatment.

Every intervention is different and must be personalized to address the specific circumstances facing families and people experiencing the effects of addiction. Personalizing interventions increases the likelihood of individuals with SUD entering treatment, maintaining positive changes, and achieving long-term sobriety. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab works with families to create tailored interventions to help their loved ones. Some factors a professional interventionist helps the family plan include timing, location, and who should participate.

Educating the Family

Family education is one of the first steps in a successful intervention. Before family members can provide support, motivation, and guidance to their loved ones, they must have a clear understanding of the impact of addiction and the importance of recovery. An interventionist spends one-on-one time with the family, helping them recognize the need for professional treatment. Educating family members also reduces stigmas surrounding addiction and recovery.

Expressing Concern and Love

Family members participating in an intervention can use the forum to express how addiction has impacted them personally. Genuine love and concern can help people stop and think more objectively about the consequences of their behaviors, including substance abuse. Family members are encouraged to provide specific examples of how addiction has caused them emotional, physical, financial, or spiritual distress. Some people may not recognize the need for change until they see how their behaviors have hurt the people they care about most.

Offering a Treatment Plan

Professional interventions help family members present their loved ones with a well-researched, realistic, and attainable treatment plan. Interventionists and other care team members at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab offer families guidance on how to present the treatment options to their loved ones in a way that makes sense, addresses their needs, and appeals to personal preferences. Providing options instead of only one treatment program helps people feel more in control and actively engaged in their recovery.

Setting Boundaries

Establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries is essential during an intervention. Some people experiencing addiction may try to bully, guilt-trip, or otherwise manipulate family and friends into letting them continue their behavior. By setting clear boundaries and outlining the consequences of continued substance abuse, family members show their loved ones the benefits of participating in treatment programs. Boundaries are critical for every stage of treatment and recovery. Family members show their love and support by being mindful of their boundaries and holding loved ones accountable for their actions.

Maintaining Calmness

Interventions are not a space where people should blame or confront individuals experiencing addiction. Instead, interventions are meant to be informative, respectful, and focused on helping families find healthy ways to communicate the need for addiction treatment.

Families maintain calmness during an intervention by doing the following:

• Using factual statements and real-world examples
• Actively listening to their loved one’s needs and preferences
• Practicing grace and compassion during challenging moments

Staying calm ensures everyone feels comfortable and safe expressing themselves.

Rehearsing Responses

Rehearing an intervention ahead of time and writing scripts or mentally preparing responses to hypothetical situations may help some people feel more comfortable during an intervention. Anticipating potential emotional reactions and thinking of multiple responses can help keep the intervention on track. Rehearsals allow family and friends to become better prepared to support their loved ones in recognizing the need for professional addiction treatment.

Using Love to Build Trust and Facilitate Positive Change

Families are encouraged to play an active role in helping their loved ones transition into structured care. Sometimes, potential clients are more likely to trust the care team if family members encourage them to enter treatment. Love is a central component of the recovery philosophy at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab.

Intervention staff help families create a safe and nurturing environment where people struggling with addiction feel cared for and valued. The care team does this by encouraging family members to write honest, heartfelt letters to the person experiencing addiction. Family members and friends read these letters to the individual during the intervention. The letters share concerns, hopes, and emotions designed to motivate the person to accept help.

Client Support and Post-Intervention Follow-up

Post-intervention follow-up is essential to ensure clients in treatment and their loved ones remain focused on recovery and healing. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab provides post-intervention follow-up services, including maintaining contact with clients and their families to address any challenges they encounter after an intervention.

Addiction recovery specialists facilitate interventions and do the following:

• Educate family members on the realities of addiction and intervention etiquette
• Ensure the intervention is conducted in a respectful, calm, and supportive manner
• Guide families through addressing the complex factors impacting the success of interventions

Interventions are not the contrived, manipulative, or overbearing spectacle most people picture from watching “interventions” in popular media. Instead, they are compassionate, loving, motivating, and designed to show people experiencing addiction a positive path forward. Exclusive Hawaii Rehab has professional intervention staff available to help families facilitate respectful and effective interventions.

Testimonials From Clients Who Worked With Mike Torricelli & Kevin Schroeder

“I appreciate very much all you have done to help Joshua and our family.  I know we have a long road ahead, but at least we have begun.  I spoke with Josh yesterday and he sounded really good. He said that he had met guys like him and no longer felt like he is the only one. Thank you for all your help.”

-Barbara and Kaye

” MikeTorricelli was extremely supportive and guided the intervention in a caring and dignified manner.  It was very emotional and many tears were shed.  We knew that it would be difficult for my father to get through– so he chose not to attend. He has a soft heart, and knew he would not be able to see her cry.  But all her aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends were there and the letters that they all read were very touching and in the end, Lindsey decided on her own that she wanted to go to California and work on getting better.

I truly believe that without the intervention, we would have had to drag her to the car kicking and screaming. Plus, I think that since she had the intervention, she is more open to the process at the facility where she went. In fact, the therapist called me on her first day and said she was really amazed how open Lindsey was, and that she was not isolating herself, but participating.”

-Susan Calhoun