What to Expect

What is an Intervention?

An intervention aims to support an individual in accepting appropriate treatment for the addiction or behavioral issue, put relationships on the road to healing, and raise an individual’s self-esteem so that he or she believes it is possible to successfully pursue recovery.

Intervention is a process that can and should be a gentle and concerned effort to help someone find their own motivation to go to treatment. It is NOT about confrontation or shaming.

Goals in an Intervention

There are several goals in the intervention process. Some models of intervention intervention focus only on the loved one entering treatment and disregard the complex familial relationships. During an intervention with the Wilkins Group, there is no need to focus only on one goal. We value all of your goals and strive to create a positive experience for the whole family.

These goals include:

• Finding motivation and creating an environment in which it is safe for an addict to give voice to that motivation

• Protecting and beginning to heal family relationships

• Focusing on envisioning a brighter future for the addict as well as the family and friends

• Creating a more functional family dynamic to move into the future

Discover Motivation 

Discovering motivation is necessary to position an addict for success in recovery. The goal is to help an addict find their own motivation to overcome their dependency and to provide them with an environment where they can give voice to that motivation. Entering a treatment program with motivation to succeed greatly increases the hope for recovery.

Protect Family Relationships 

Protecting and healing the family relationships is another priority. During an intervention the team members are the clients and as such protecting familial relationships and starting the healing processes is vital to keep a family connected to their loved one through the recovery process. It is benificial for the family to partisipate in the intervention being emotionally grounded and genuinely cohesive.

Focus on Wellbeing 

Throughout an intervention, we are also concerned with the addict’s emotional wellbeing. It is necessary to understand what they are thinking or feeling prior to entering treatment. This not only helps families understand their loved one better, but it also aids treatment facilities during their intake process. Our goal is to have your loved one entering treatment feeling as though their family loves them and is rooting for their success. Having a positive outlook while entering treatment can also increase the likelihood of success.

Create a More Functional Family Dynamic 

To create a more functional family dynamic around the area of chemical dependency, we teach families skills to better maneuver through the therapeutic process. After the education and training happens families will be better equipped to manage their relationships with each other and their loved one as he or she enters treatment.

What it Looks Like

Interventions are a structured therapeutic process for the family, it is not a one size fits all world. It is a collaborative effort. A family knows their specific family system as well as their addict and The Wilkins Group knows the intervention process. Together we strive to make informed decisions and create a specialized intervention.

The Intervention Process

Intervention Team: Typically 4-8 People, family members or friends who have knowledge of and concern for the person. They also are ready to go through the process. These groups have been as large as 17 and as small as 1.

Training: 2 sessions of educational training, in which we talk about motivational interviewing techniques and body language such as eye contact and posture. We discuss modulating voice, and plan the actual intervention event, seating arrangement, speaking order and where and when the intervention should occur. There is also time to anticipate an addicts objections to accepting treatment script effective, non-confrontational responses.

Family Therapy: During the 2 sessions familial goals and relationships are addressed and a more traditional therapeutic process occurs before the actual event.

Event: The intervention occurs with the addict. During this event, the interventionist directs the process. The Wilkins Group has a success rate of about 80-90 percent. If the intervention is done well it increases the likelihood of a loved one being successful in treatment.