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Is the intervention process kept confidential?
Yes, all information gathered during the preparation for the intervention and the intervention process itself is held in strict confidentiality between the family, me and the treatment center.
How much time does it take to conduct the intervention?
A. From the time the family hires Bill Maher, Interventionist, to the day of the intervention typically takes 2-6 weeks.
Emergency situations are dealt with immediately.
For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website.
What can I expect?
1. A respectful and honest process designed to maintain the dignity of all involved.
2. A gentle process intended to place all participants at ease so that defenses may drop.
3. Communication will be improved between family members as a result of this process.
4. The family dynamics will be changed, dysfunction giving way to healthier boundaries, roles and rules.
5. A process that reduces the addicted individual’s self-judgement and shame, so that they are more open to making more positive and constructive choices for their lives.
For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website.
If you just “invite” the addicted person to attend the intervention, won’t they say “no”?
Of all the interventions I have facilitated since 1998, only 6 individuals have not shown up when invited. However, of those 6 individuals, 3 of them went on to seek treatment after the family meetings anyway. For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website.
How do you decide who should be involved in the intervention?
We can usually help families work through this decision. I am looking for those individuals who the “identified patient” respects. There may be as few as 3 or as many as 17 individuals. The relationship with the individual is more important than the number of people.
For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website..
Will family/friends be sneaking behind his/her back?
Being concerned about this is normal. Our preferred method of intervention is an open and honest process. The “identified patient” is invited to attend an educational workshop with the family to learn about alcoholism.
For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website.
Will family/friends be confronting and criticizing him/her?
Absolutely not!
For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website.
I don’t think he/she will accept treatment. How do you make them go?
The method of intervention that I primarily use has a very high rate of success for getting the addicted person into treatment. Over 98% of the interventions I have conducted since 1998 have resulted in the person seeking treatment.
For more information about the intervention process, see “One Family’s Story” in the Intervention section of our website.
How do we know which treatment center is the right one?
During the process of working with the family, I get to know the details of the person’s disease and the family background. I will present different options for treatment to the family and help them make the decision. I have bed privileges at some of the best treatment centers around the country and try to match the strengths of the facility with the needs of the addicted individual and their family.
Do you help with making the arrangements with the treatment center?
Once a treatment center has been chosen we will contact them to reserve a bed, we will keep the center apprised of the timeline and give them an assessment of the patient. I will follow the patient through treatment (if a federal medical confidentiality release has been signed) and help set up aftercare and follow them through that.
