An intervention is a staged event that brings friends and family in contact with a loved one with a substance abuse or mental health problem. An interventionist manages this encounter to help the loved one realize the danger they are in and how to seek help. If you want to become an interventionist, you must learn a great deal about psychology, addiction and mental health. By working with the family and the person in question, you can help get that person's life back on track.
Before you become an interventionist and begin helping people, there is a great deal of education necessary. Most jobs in this field require at least a bachelor's degree and many also require a master's degree in psychology, social work or a related field. The classes within these majors will help you understand the human mind, addiction and the many ways of recovery. In many places, including the United States, you also will need to take an examination to become a certified interventionist before you can work professionally in this role.
The two primary jobs that you must master to become an interventionist are, first, working with friends and family to prepare them and, second, working with the person struggling with addiction or mental health problems. In most cases, a family or group of friends will consult you about setting up an intervention with a victim in order to get them to change their life, usually to ward off addiction, suicidal thoughts or other problems. You will be in charge of preparing the group for the intervention procedure and the problems and emotional issues that can arise. The victim is unaware of the intervention, and it will be your job to work as a referee among the victim and the loved ones so they can recognize the problems that exist. If the victim is responsive to the intervention, you will be responsible for helping them seek treatment and medication to correct the issues in their life.
In order to become an interventionist and successfully deal with these dual aspects of the job, you must be a strong communicator who can verbally work with a variety of people. Stress management is another skill that you must possess in order to handle these emotionally charged situations with professionalism and care. Patience is an equally important skill, because many interventions take time to work, and you must have a clear head in order to make the proper decisions to steer the conversations.
