Most professionals who have studied interventions, or implement them, tend to agree that Vernon Johnson first defined a necessity for intervention technique in the early 1960s. He thought family could unite and convince an addictive drinker to accept help for his ailment. Rev. Johnson, a pioneer in compassionate chemical dependency treatment wrote the 1973 milestone “I’ll Quit Tomorrow” as the blueprint for the various forms of interventions and their use then and today involving not only addictions to alcohol but also drugs, gambling, sex, self abusive behavior, eating disorders, violent rage, and more recently computers.

The decades since Johnson’s studies have produced many variations on his themes and professionals now meet a wide range of environments and issues. The ground zero is no longer just a personal and family dimension it extends to the workplace and involves the boardrooms of Corporate American, the military, the media, all forms of celebrity from sports to movie and television stars, even the medical profession has doctors and nurses surrounded by their addictions as a part of their daily job description. ‘Executive Interventions’ are often instigated in companywide programs designed to define and solve problems with all workers and thus increase the strengths and resources of the worker and thus the corporation.

Intervention as a common remedial action has increased simply as more and more people hear about its practical ability and its updated application to a wider range of addictive circumstances. These occasions and circumstances have created a professional interventionist service industry working everywhere from the company boardroom to the darker societies of the inner city and everywhere in between.

No, it is not true. Most victims of behavioral disorders or addictions do not think they have any kind of problem at all. If you ask them if they have a problem or address them as an addict they will deny it. You might find the occasional partial admission: – “Everyone gets angry now and again”, “Everyone has a few too many drinks once in a while”, and “Most people experiment with drugs in their lifetime,” their life habits are no different than everyone else in their mind.

Something has to happen in their lives to make them want to accept help.

Intervention is the first step in a sequence of events that can mend their soul and change and restore their lives.

As with any service industry the Professional Interventionist has a reputation built on experience.

Education, a contemporary understanding of the wide range of today’s behavioral problems, human compassion, and client and patient trust are all ingredient to your selection of the correct Interventionist.

Your comfort level in understanding and trusting what you learn about this type of professional care-provider is important as these qualifications and talents should be easily recognizable as what you need in assisting your loved one to the care and treatment they need.

Find out how long they have been in the business and what educational background, formal training and working experience they have had since entering the field. Similar cases and how their plans were actually carried out should be volunteered as well as their outcome.
Make sure they have had ample and recent experience with your type of circumstance.

Feel content that your questions are answered fully and to your complete understanding.
Find comfort and confidence that they have the knowledge, compassion, discipline and strength to carry out what they define as the best route to facilitate the treatment of your loved one. Their experience will assist you in gauging the urgency of your situation, the path it should follow and the degree of safety it will entail.