Canadian Addiction Interventionists: 5 Questions You Need To Ask Before Hiring One

12 Aug Canadian Addiction Interventionists: 5 Questions You Need To Ask Before Hiring One

If a loved one close to you is suffering from addiction, you may be struggling to find a way to help them – or even reach them. One way that can be effective is an intervention, which is when the friends and family of someone struggling with substance dependency sit them down to discuss their struggles and a plan to overcome them.

Although this can be done informally, with only friends and family, you may want to consider having a professional, like an interventionist involved.

What is an interventionist?

Rear view of son and elderly father sitting together at home. Son caring for his father, putting hand on his shoulder, comforting and consoling him. Family love, bonding, care and confidence

An interventionist is a professional that can lead and facilitate an intervention to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible. Friends and families can contact them before the intervention to plan it out properly, including preliminary discussions on the next steps for treatment for the affected loved one afterward. Interventions can be hosted for a variety of different reasons.

Andy Bhatti is an example of an addiction interventionist in Canada. Other examples of interventions in Canada include:

1. Health interventions Canada
2. Social interventions in Canada
3. Public health interventions in Canada
4. Interventions with children and youth in Canada
5. Alcohol intervention services
6. Family intervention services
7. Behavioral addiction interventions
8. Disordered eating interventions

Typically, though, when people hear of an intervention, they’re thinking about one for someone struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, as will be focused on throughout this article.

What to expect from an Addiction Interventionist

A senior woman with cancer walks with her adult daughter at sunset down a rural road. They are relaxing and staying active together. The affectionate pair are talking and walking with arms linked.

When you reach out to an addiction interventionist, you are beginning a journey that goes further than just an intervention. It’s the first step to treatment for your loved one, with your interventionist there to provide support and guidance every step of the way.

An intervention can be an important part of the recovery process. However, it’s only the first step. A great addiction interventionist will be there to support the one struggling with substance dependency and their loved ones through treatment, too.

(This is assuming the intervention was a success, and the one struggling with addiction chooses to partake in treatment. This may not be the case, which is a situation you may need to be ready for. However, your addiction interventionist will still be there to support you.)

1. The first thing your addiction interventionist will do is learn more about your situation, and that of the one struggling with addiction so the intervention can be planned, including the goal of the intervention. If treatment is the goal, a preliminary treatment plan can be created.
2. The intervention will be hosted. If it goes well, your interventionist will be there to guide the one struggling and their loved ones (including you) through the next steps. If it doesn’t go well, they will be there to mediate the situation so it doesn’t get out of hand, and to support those involved afterward.
3. Your interventionist will continue to provide guidance and support while the one struggling goes through treatment.

What are the 5 questions you should ask to make sure you have a great interventionist in Canada?

Man in wheelchair at home

1. What experience does the interventionist have?

Just like an employer hiring a new employee, you want to choose an addiction interventionist that has proven experience with successful interventions and treatment plans. Although this won’t prove that this is the right interventionist for you, it provides evidence that they are objectively good addiction interventionists. For example, Andy Bhatti has a 98% success rate in our Vancouver intervention business.

1. How does the interventionist handle accountability?

Blame can be a touchy subject in an intervention, and it’s critical your addiction interventionist handles the topic of accountability with grace. Their job is to facilitate the intervention and mediate the discussion so it doesn’t become too heated or out of control. They should be able to coach you on the types of things you should and shouldn’t say before the intervention.

1. What is their knowledge of the field?

Beyond experience, what knowledge does the interventionist have in their field, and what connections do they have to treatment centers? This can be important so they’re able to guide your loved one struggling with substance dependency on the right treatment for them.

1. What is the accessibility of the interventionist?

Will they be available for you to contact when you need their support? This is an important part of an interventionist’s job. They’re there to guide and support you. So, it’s important that they’d be accessible to you.

1. What sort of aftercare does the interventionist offer when the intervention is done?

Going along with the support, the aftercare an interventionist provides after the intervention is done is also important. How does the addiction interventionist follow up once the intervention is done and the one struggling with addiction is in treatment?

What’s the difference between a Drug Interventionist and an Alcohol Interventionist?

Although it’s possible to be an addiction interventionist that focuses on both drugs and alcohol dependencies, there are others that may focus on just one. The two have been compared in the table below.

FAQ

How to find an alcohol intervention specialist

To find an alcohol intervention specialist, you can use services like Canada Drug Rehab, which is a directory for alcohol and addiction services.

How to find the right addiction interventionist for your loved one

You can find the right addiction interventionist for your loved one by asking interventionists the five questions listed previously.

1. What experience does the interventionist have?
2. How does the interventionist handle accountability?
3. What is their knowledge of the field?
4. What is the accessibility of the interventionist?
5. What sort of aftercare does the interventionist offer when the intervention is done?

To Conclude

An intervention can be a critical first step in helping a loved one get the help they need. And finding the right addiction interventionist for you is a great way to ensure it goes as well as possible.

If you’d like to discuss intervention services and long-term treatment plans in Canada, contact Andy Bhatti.

Although intervention services are an important part of the recovery process, there are other treatment services that are important to the process, too.

A study done in 2017 by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction that surveyed those in recovery has findings that suggest addiction treatment is important and effective in said recovery with just over half having not relapsed while 91.8% used a 12-step mutual support group and 60.6% a residential addiction treatment program.

Some examples of those services include

• Cedars at Coble Hill: An inpatient treatment center located in British Columbia
• Sunshine Coast Health Centre: A sober living home located in British Columbia
• Canada Drug Rehab: An addiction services directory