It often has been said that the addict decides when they wish to quit using drugs or alcohol. While this can be true, a carefully planned intervention can help encourage an addicted person to seek treatment. An intervention specialist is a person that plans, coordinates and leads this process.
Television programs and movies often show an intervention as simply a bunch of friends or family members arguing or pleading with an addict to get treatment or to stop using drugs or alcohol. However, these disorganized movie and TV versions tend to be less than helpful. Often, the person struggling with addiction will simply feel attacked and shamed, rather than supported.
The goal of an intervention is to encourage someone to seek treatment by showing support, concern and love for this person. It’s often best to seek the services of a professional intervention specialist as they have the training needed to carry out the intervention and, as an impartial professional, they can act as a guide throughout the process without being influenced by the emotions of the people involved.
How To Become An Intervention Specialist
In general, most intervention specialists begin their work as certified drug and alcohol counselors (CADCs). They earn CADC certification and work for a few years either at an in-patient or outpatient facility managing many aspects of patient care, and this sometimes includes planning and carrying out interventions. This planning and preparation can translate into the job tasks of an intervention specialist.
During your training to become a certified addiction counselor, you will study what is known as the 12 Core Functions of drug and alcohol counseling. One of these functions is crisis intervention. Typically, this refers to crises that occur during treatment, such as severe emotional distress or even suicidal actions, but during your study of this function, you will learn how to plan and prepare for these types of crises and learn a bit about interventions in general and how they can help push someone toward treatment.
Once you have earned your CADC certification, you can apply for various specialty certifications through the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP). One of these options is Intervention Specialist, and there are several other interesting options, as well. This includes Medication-Assisted Treatment Specialist, Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional, Women’s Treatment Specialist and more.
As an intervention specialist, you won’t be providing therapy or counseling, but rather your job will be to plan and prepare for interventions. This includes meeting with family and friends of the affected patient, learning their history, helping prepare what will be said during the intervention and planning for treatment. A successful intervention usually ends with the patient immediately entering a treatment facility.
An intervention specialist coordinates the entire process. They will meet with family and friends before the intervention to plan out what will be said, by whom and when. The goal is for loved ones to peacefully address concerns and show support, although there also may be consequences if the addict decides not to seek treatment. While this can seem threatening, it can be addressed gently and help to encourage a person to seek treatment.
Start Working To Your New Career
If becoming an intervention specialist seems like an interesting career option, your first step will be to earn that CADC certification. There are three levels of CADC certification, which include CADC-I, CADC-II and CADC-III. The educational requirements for all three levels of CADC are the same and at Sober College, we provide the coursework required to earn your CADC certification.
The differences between these three certifications arise after you have completed your coursework and have passed the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam. A CADC-I must then complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. If you have an associate’s degree in behavioral science or an allied mental health profession, this required number of hours drops to 2,080.
If you wish to earn your CADC-II certification, you will need a total of 6,000 hours of supervised work experience, regardless of your education level. Many CADC-I counselors will transition into the CADC-II certification as they gain more experience. Keep in mind, these hours are paid, so you will be a working professional. It simply means that you are supervised.
A CADC-III requires 4,000 hours of supervised work experience. However, it does require that you have earned a bachelor’s degree. This may seem like a lot of hours, but let’s break it down into months and years. To become a CADC-I, that 2,080 hours is about a year of work experience, while the 3,000 hours is about 14-15 months of work. The 4,000 hours for a CADC-III equals about two years of supervised work, while the 6,000 hours for a CADC-II is about three years.
Of course, in order to become an intervention specialist, you only need CADC-I certification and that takes about a year or so to earn. Your coursework, through Sober College, can be completed entirely online and in just six months. We offer rolling admissions so you can begin at any time.
In addition to our regular online program, which includes one class per month for six months, we also offer a self-paced program, which you can complete in as little as three months. With the self-paced program, you also can take up to 18 months to complete the educational requirements, which can be a better fit for some students.
If you want to get started working toward a career as an intervention specialist, you can sign up for our program today. Our coursework is CCAPP-approved, NAADAC-approved and IC&RC-approved, and can help you earn counselor certification throughout most of the United States. From there, you can start working toward your goal of helping others heal as an intervention specialist.
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