Mental Health Intervention Programs for Treatment and Counseling

Mental health disorders are individualized and complex mental health conditions that can look different for everyone. The severity of your symptoms can have an impact on your experiences. As an example, those living with severe mental illnesses tend to experience persistent and invasive symptoms, while others may have mild impairment in their functioning.

For those who are living with a mental health concern, they may experience changes in their mood. They may feel irritable, sad, or experience intense mood swings. These symptoms may or may not be noticeable to others. They may also find themselves isolated from family and friends, which can be the result of their psychological symptoms or fatigue.

Some show physical or outward signs that they’re struggling with their mental health, such as unintended weight gain or loss, changes in appetite, and changes in their grooming patterns. Fatigue is a common symptom that can affect social relationships, work, and your ability to navigate everyday responsibilities. Other physical signs include aches and pains and gastrointestinal difficulties.

If you find yourself relating to the challenges mentioned above, we encourage you to contact A Mission For Michael and take advantage of our confidential and free assessment. This allows us to provide you with professional recommendations, be they crisis stabilization, early intervention services, and/or treatment programs based on your symptoms.

Mental health interventions can be a useful tool for those who are experiencing persistent distress and impairment. Interventions can be used with those experiencing a range of mental health concerns to encourage getting help. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the following, it may be time to consider a mental health intervention:

• Significant Distress: Persistent emotional distress, sadness, irritability, or anxiety that is making it challenging to manage your daily responsibilities.
• Struggle to Engage in Treatment: Individuals who have started treatment in the past and ended treatment before it was completed. This can occur when individuals begin to experience some relief or if they feel as though they aren’t benefiting from treatment.
• Interference in Relationships: Symptoms are affecting your relationships. This can include communication concerns, increased conflict or tension, and isolation behaviors.
• Substance Use Struggles: Continued substance abuse that includes physical dependency symptoms like the development of tolerance or withdrawal symptoms.
• Limited Insight or Awareness: Being unaware of the severity of symptoms or the denial of the impact symptoms have on daily life.
• Functional Impairment: Difficulty maintaining employment, managing daily responsibilities, or engaging in social activities.
• Exhausted Other Resources: Not finding relief from symptoms after the use of self-help, outpatient therapy, or short-term treatment options. 

A mental health intervention is a planned and structured meeting that focuses on encouraging someone experiencing mental health issues to get help to address their symptoms. Intervention planning is done with family support, and various intervention strategies can be used to create a sense of urgency around seeking professional treatment.

During a mental health intervention, loved ones are encouraged to share their observations and concerns in a compassionate and non-confrontational way. This is often done with prepared impact statements, which are direct and supportive. Intervention programs can incorporate various professionals to direct the intervention and provide crisis de-escalation if needed. Mental health professionals are also knowledgeable of various intervention techniques that can help motivate loved ones to seek treatment for their mental health symptoms. When you choose to work with an interventionist, you’re able to focus on your loved one because the professional will handle the rest.

Crisis interventions are different from mental health interventions because there is an immediate risk for the individual’s safety or those around them. Crisis intervention teams can help those who are struggling with active psychotic symptoms, manic episodes, and severe depressive symptoms. The first step in a crisis response is to determine the nature of the situation and evaluate safety concerns.

After a crisis assessment, professionals can then move forward accordingly. The goal of crisis intervention is to get treatment that can provide stabilization services. This may require psychotherapy, the use of various medications, and around-the-clock support and supervision. If it is determined that there is an imminent safety risk, individuals may be brought to a psychiatric hospital for crisis management intervention services.

Professional interventions for mental health are effective, with success rates between 80% and 90%, according to the Association of Intervention Specialists. Many people in recovery report greater success when participating in structured mental health treatment compared to those who do not seek help. These interventions can be critical for guiding those struggling toward appropriate treatment programs.

However, it is important to recognize potential risks. The key risk of an intervention is having your loved one feel judged, criticized, or pushed to do something they aren’t ready to do. This can lead to isolation and continued progression of their symptoms. Poorly managed interventions can harm relationships with loved ones. The A&E Intervention television show may be dramatized for entertainment purposes, but it is grounded in true stories. According to Business Insider, 98.7% of the show’s interventions led to treatment, with 55% maintaining sobriety. Interventions are a delicate matter that is more likely to lead to treatment when you use a professional intervention. These professionals can also support you as a loved one during the progression of an intervention.