Many struggling individuals have a fear of the physical withdrawal from substances, being away from loved ones, or even job loss. This fear can often perpetuate behavioral health symptoms, isolation and continued substance misuse. Unfortunately, many of the objections that individuals have around seeking formal treatment is the result of being ill-informed about rehabilitation and the journey of recovery.
Becoming more informed and contending with the consequences of chronic substance abuse is an important first step. As leaders in the field of behavioral health and substance abuse, we recognize that loved ones are often ambivalent about seeking help. To mirror the Malvern Model of recovery, the Malvern Intervention Model was created as a valuable service to those who have a loved one suffering from substance use disorders. Sometimes, the best chance for hope is to have a professional interventionist work with you and your family to encourage the individual to get the help they need. By intervening in your loved one’s addiction, you can help him or her embrace the prospect of recovery.
What is an Intervention?
Interventions are a concept with which many people are familiar on a conceptual level, but very few people actually know how interventions work, how to plan an intervention, or how to execute an intervention. By definition, the term “intervention” refers to the act of interfering between two things so as to alter the course of the future. This basic definition also applies to interventions as they pertain to alcohol and drug use; however, alcohol and drug interventions are more an event than an action or abstract concept. When an intervention is held for someone addicted to alcohol or drugs, it means that his or her family members are making a coordinated effort to show the far-reaching effects of his or her addiction and to strongly encourage that he or she get help.
When it comes to alcohol and drug interventions, there are a number of different models that can be used, each of which are designed for certain situations and circumstances. To many people, interventions involve confrontation, which implies a level of aggression or force; however, this is not what an intervention should be. Instead, it would be better to think of an intervention as an opportunity. Essentially, an intervention means you sit down with your addicted loved one to express to him or her how you feel about his or her substance abuse problem. The idea is to “confront” your loved one with the effects of his or her addiction, including how the substance abuse affects both the user and his/her loved ones. Rather than being an aggressive confrontation, an intervention is more an emotional confrontation. In fact, alcohol and drug interventions are extremely emotional events that require lots of preparation to execute effectively, but when you put in the time and effort, interventions have high success rates for encouraging them to seek help.
Key Features of the Malvern Intervention Model
Many recovery journeys begin with an intervention, which is why we at Malvern Treatment Centers take interventions very seriously. In fact, we have developed our own methodology for preparing and executing interventions. Meant to mirror and complement the Malvern Model of recovery, the Malvern Intervention Model is a valuable resource to those who have a loved one suffering from addiction. Once the family members and friends of an addict decide that intervention is necessary, we work closely with those individuals on both planning and executing the intervention. Many individuals who attempt to stage an intervention on their own quickly realize just how difficult this can be, especially when there is a lack of direction and informational resources; however, the Malvern Intervention Model essentially provides families with a blueprint that can be used to maximize the effectiveness of the intervention.
Experience and Success Rates
The Malvern team has conducted over 360 interventions in the last 5 years, have helped over 2000 people get treatment and ensured that their families start to heal too. Most importantly, they’ve got a 90% success rate of helping people make progress on the road to recovery from addiction.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of the Malvern Intervention Model is how we’ve integrated it into the overarching Malvern Model of Care. It works like this: We work closely with you as you assemble the components of the intervention, providing the necessary support to ensure your intervention is as effective as possible. After the intervention, the individual can begin the detoxification process as one of our facilities, effectively making intervention what jumpstarts the recovery process. From detox to the completing of treatment at Malvern Treatment Centers (and even beyond), your addicted loved one will benefit from a well-rounded and comprehensive rehabilitative curriculum. During this time, we continue to monitor your loved one’s progress and overall well-being, ensuring his or her safety throughout the recovery process and helping him or her to achieve optimal benefit from the Malvern Model of Care. When he or she has completed the inpatient phases of care, we will continue to follow-up with you and your loved one through Malvern Treatment Center’s Recovery-Oriented Community (ROC) Program, which is essentially an alumni program for patients and their families.
Intervention Planning
An intervention may seem straightforward from a conceptual standpoint, but actually staging an intervention is far more complicated and intensive than many people realize. Although the confrontation part of an intervention is important, every participant needs to put in some due diligence. In other words, an intervention requires some homework, but don’t worry. Malvern has you covered.
How Does an Intervention Work? What, Exactly, Happens?
Most interventions take place after families and friends have tried every other option. If you feel like nothing has worked to get your loved one help for their substance use, an intervention may be something to consider. It’s not a light consideration: Interventions can be upsetting and unpredictable. They can also change someone’s life — and give them a fresh chance at living it.
Interventions can be conducted within the home or in a clinical setting. The gathering of participants should be held in a private space where you can feel comfortable being honest and vulnerable with your loved one.
Preparation
Interventions begin with some preparatory steps:
The intervention professional will meet with family members, friends and coworkers to gather information about your loved one’s situation
Participants should determine a clear goal for their loved one’s next steps in treatment
The interventionist will help you identify the appropriate treatment and help coordinate with the chosen treatment facility to plan for the person’s admission
The interventionist will also find an appropriate location for the intervention itself, ideally a place where your loved one feels safe
A rehearsal will give insight into how the intervention might unfold, so everyone involved is clear-eyed, informed and on the same page. The intervention professional will answer any questions you have
The Day of the Intervention
The intervention itself will include:
• Directly addressing your loved one about their addiction issues
• Presenting the person with specific examples of the effects of their addiction on those around them
• Giving everyone involved the opportunity to express their desire for the person to accept help
• Providing your loved one with information on evidence-based treatment programs
• Offering support, encouragement, motivation and accountability
• Making it clear something needs to change for the sake of the person’s physical and mental health and safety
• Presenting a solution — a plan for treatment and recovery — so your loved one can see that, with treatment, recovery from addiction is achievable, sustainable and absolutely worthwhile
• Explaining the consequences the person will face if they refuse help
While many treatment centers don’t become involved in a patient’s recovery journey until the point of intake, we actually provide guidance and support during the intervention stage. Whether or not an intervention is effective is highly dependent on the amount of preparation and planning that is put into the intervention, which is why we have a team of professionals dedicated solely to helping you and your family with intervention planning. During a highly emotional and otherwise overwhelming time, you will be working closely with an appointed interventionist who will be your support system, able to answer any questions you may have and offering any guidance needed to execute a successful intervention. If you have any questions about the Malvern Intervention Model or the Malvern Model of Care, or for any other concerns you may have, please fill out the form below or give us a call at 610.MALVERN (610.625.8376).