Intervention Assessment

Although it’s true that not everyone is right for an intervention at a particular time, it is rare that we encounter a family that we suggest against an intervention. More often than not a family waits for reasons other than practicality or necessity.

Usually fear, hope, or guilt stops a family from deciding on an
intervention. Intervention Services provides the help necessary to guide you into determining for yourself where you and your loved ones fit in comparison to other substance abusers and if now is the time to utilize our services.

When should someone get help for their problem?  Is it ever too soon?  Can we be too late?

Family Screenings and Intervention Assessment

Not every substance abusing client is accepted into inpatient treatment. A client must be willing to admit they have a problem in order for a treatment center to be willing to administer therapy.  The job of the intervention provider is precisely that: to get your loved one to acknowledge that they have a problem so that the solution can begin.

A series of questions are usually asked of your loved one upon entry to treatment using one or more diagnostic tools.  There are many examples of diagnostic tools used to assess the needs of a substance abuser.

Here are just a few:

• AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test)
• CAGE
• CRAFFT
• DAST (Drug Abuse Screening Test)
• MAST (Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test)
• MMPI (Minnesota Multi-Phasic Interview)
• T-Ace
• Trauma Index
• TWEAK

At the bottom of the page we have provided a sample of the MAST screening assessment that is usually given to adult potential alcoholics to determine their needs.  Feel free to fill this out yourself in regards to your loved one, and do the best to assign a score.

The following is a Sample Assessment given in treatment to an adult alcohol user to determine alcoholism.

MAST (Michigan Alcohol Screening Test)

1. Do you feel you are a normal drinker?
2. Have you ever awakened the morning after some drinking the night
   before and found that you could not remember part of the evening before?
3. Does your wife, husband or parents ever worry or complain about your drinking?
4. Can you stop drinking without a struggle after one or two drinks?
5. Do you ever feel bad about your drinking?
6. Do friends or relatives think you are a normal drinker?
7. Do you ever try to limit your drinking to certain times of the day or to certain places?
8. Are you always able to stop drinking when you want to?
9. Have you ever attended a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous AA?
10. Have you gotten into fights when drinking?
11. Has drinking ever created problems with you and your wife, husband?
12. Has your wife, husband or other family member ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking?
13. Have you ever lost friends or girlfriends/boyfriends because of your drinking?
14. Have you ever gotten into trouble at work because of drinking?
15. Have you ever lost a job because of drinking?
16. Have you ever neglected your obligations, your family, or your work for 2 or more days in a row because you were drinking?
17. Do you ever drink before noon?
18. Have you ever been told you have liver trouble? Cirrhosis?
19. Have you ever had delirium tremens DTs, severe shaking, after heavy drinking?
20. Have you ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking?
21. Have you ever been in a hospital because of your drinking?
22. Have you ever been a patient in a psychiatric hospital or on a
    psychiatric ward of a  general hospital where drinking was part of the
    problem?
23. Have you ever been seen at a psychiatric or mental health clinic, or
    gone to a doctor, social worker, or clergyman for help with an
    emotional problem in which drinking has played a part?
24. Have you ever been arrested, even for a few hours, because of drunk behavior?
25. Have you ever been arrested for drunk driving or driving after drinking?

In a nutshell, 5 or more “right” answers indicates probable alcoholism.

But what about you?

Again, these are common questionnaires given to potential substance abusers in treatment to determine urgency, level of need, and treatment plans. But what about you? Who asks you the questions? Who determines your needs?  Or, does anyone ask you about the substance abuser and their affect on you and your family.

Intervention Services provides a basic screening and assessment of  needs to all who contact us.  During this brief interview we will help you to understand and look at your situation in relation to that of addiction.  We will help you to know that you are not alone in this process.

Call us today at 219-226-6050 to get processional intervention assistance.