Louise Stanger is a speaker, educator, licensed clinician, social worker, certified daring way facilitator and interventionist who uses an invitational intervention approach to work with complicated mental health, substance abuse, chronic pain and process addiction clients.
What is an intervention?
An intervention, in all its many forms, is an invitation for your loved one to find solutions for their substance abuse, chronic pain, process disorder (i.e. gambling, eating, sex, etc.) and/or mental health problems they are experiencing. It encourages the user to seek appropriate treatment solutions and discover new healthy ways of living.
As a licensed clinician and certified professional interventionist, I work in conjunction with other social workers, psychologists, marriage family therapists, lawyers, addiction specialists, mental health workers, and other licensed professionals to facilitate the process of intervention and invite clients to explore ways to improve their lives. As such, I and my team empower clients to be the captains of their well-being. For the loved ones involved, an intervention is always a heart-centered act, coming from a place of compassion and love of the person who is experiencing a mental health, process disorder or substance abuse problem.
What are the key ingredients of an intervention?
The best place to start in answering this question - among an intervention’s many key ingredients - is with appropriate credentials. Interventionists must be certified and come in different shapes and sizes as the accreditations and education in the form of degrees and certificates varies per specialty, level and career path.
For example, my career trajectory includes doctoral and master’s degrees in education, as I have a distinguished academic career as a former professor and lecturer. Additionally, I am a certified interventionist and continue to add new trainings and certificate programs across many different topics to stay current with the latest in the behavioral health care field.
Here are a few questions to ask to ensure proper credentials for an interventionist:
- What is their academic and/or experience background?
- Do they work alone or have a team?
- What exact services do they provide?
- What services do they not provide?
- What are their professional affiliations?
- Do they hold a Certified Intervention Professional (CIP) certification through the Pennsylvania Certification Board?
- Do they belong to one of the two intervention groups: Network of Independent Interventionists (NII) or the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS)?
- Do they carry malpractice insurance?
- Do they specialize in a certain area (not all people can do everything)?
- Who comprises the intervention team?
- What does their engagement offer?
- What is the length of time for their engagement?
- How accessible are they or their team to you?
- Do they do case management?
- Do they offer follow up care for their family and friends?
How do I ensure the safety and security of my loved ones during an intervention?
For anyone in the behavioral health care field, it is of utmost importance for the seasoned interventionist to assess for security and safety. I often work with Black Box Security, a highly-trained team of professionals who provide executive protection, international travel, investigation services, risk assessment and training. Founded by Edan Yemini, the company employs former Israeli Secret Service, Navy Seals, Marines and police officers. I’ve enjoyed working with them so much, I recently completed a self-defense training and CPR course through Black Box Security.
When necessary, the security team provides me and my team with the ability to stay focused with my client and perform my work with the added comfort that the safety of everyone involved is of highest priority. Additionally, with high profile clients, a security team like the one with Black Box Security maintains privacy and confidentiality. If background checks are necessary, the security team runs them efficiently within the law and initiates a full assessment if any red flags come up.
Finally, because the security team are all trained in working with people who experience substance abuse, mental health disorders or process disorders, it gives the identified loved one or client and family an additional support system and boosted confidence that their safety and security is in good hands. And they provide for safe and secure transport before, during and after the intervention. Here are a few questions to ask yourself in regards to safety and security if you decide to move forward with an intervention:
- Is there a safety and security assessment completed by a professionally trained security team such as Black Box?
- Is there a need for any investigation (i.e. background checks)?
Though interventions take many forms, their stated goals must be to provide a safe and secure environment where the individual experiencing a substance abuse, process disorder or mental health issue can find hope and healing. Knowing the basics of how an intervention is carried out, the credentials a professional interventionist is required to hold, and the ways safety and security are upheld is paramount to a successful intervention.
To learn more about Louise Stanger and her interventions and other resources, visit her website.