Iowa Drug Interventions

For families facing the stress of dealing with a loved one living with addiction, choosing the right Iowa drug interventionist is critical. To find the right person to work with your family, prepare a list of question to ask before you agree to work together to help your addicted loved one get the help they need. The following are some examples you can use to guide you.

Questions to Ask an Iowa Drug Interventionist

1. Can you tell me about your background and credentials?

A good interventionist will be prepared to share information about the type of degree they hold and what drew them to this type of work. Often they are people who have first-hand knowledge about recovery or who have seen a loved one struggle with addiction. They may hold a degree in social work, nursing or addictions counseling, along with a professional certification as an interventionist.

2. How many interventions have you performed?

There is no “right” answer to this question. You want to find someone who has enough experience performing interventions to handle anything unexpected that may come up during the process.

3. Have you ever worked with a family with a similar situation to mine?

An Iowa drug interventionist doesn’t simply work with the addict. They provide a valuable service to the entire family.

Some interventionists have more experience with specific types of addiction, such as people struggling with a particular type of drug or a co-occurring mental health issue (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia). You and your family may feel more comfortable working with an interventionist who has experience working with your loved one’s type of addiction.

4. Can you walk me through the steps leading up to the intervention day?

The interventionist may meet with the family in advance to talk about the disease of addiction and to plan what will happen on intervention day. Another approach that may be used is to invite the addict to attend a workshop about addiction that the rest of the family will also attend. With the latter method, the addicted family member is involved in all stages of the intervention, as opposed to being surprised by the conversation about going to treatment.

5. Will you accompany my loved one to treatment?

Most interventionists will provide this service, but you will want to confirm that it will be provided if your loved one agrees to accept help.

6. What happens if my loved one refuses to come to the intervention?

You are paying for the interventionist to work with the family and lead the intervention on a particular day. If your loved one refuses to show up on the day scheduled for the intervention, you need to know how the interventionist you are considering handles that situation.

7. When are you available?

You need to find an Iowa interventionist who is available to work with your family quickly. Your addicted loved one needs help now.