Interventions for Teens

Teens embarrass easily and may refuse to engage in conversation if people with whom they do not feel comfortable are a part of the intervention team. Talk at length with your professional interventionist about who should be included in the intervention. If your teen uses drugs or alcohol with friends or family members, it’s not a good idea to include them as part of the intervention team. You may want to consider going outside of the family when choosing your intervention team. A trusted coach or a beloved teacher may be able to speak to your teen in a different way than family members and may have a positive effect on the intervention process.

When teens feel trapped or taken by surprise, it’s normal for them to come up with objections and excuses as to why they are unable to commit to treatment. It’s important that you, your family, and your professional interventionist work together to anticipate objections that your teen may have to drug and alcohol treatment. Sports, school, and even events like prom will all be on your teen’s minds as they decide whether they’re willing to attend treatment.

This is tricky, and you’ll need to work with your interventionist to decide whether this is a good idea. If your teen’s drug and alcohol use are known issues, it may make sense to talk with their school administrators and/or their employer to ensure that they’re able to take time away for treatment. If your teen’s drug and alcohol use has been concealed, you may want to take another approach. No matter what you decide, be sure you have a plan that can help your teen step away from their day-to-day responsibilities while they attend drug and alcohol treatment.