Crisis Intervention Specialist in Los Angeles
Discreet, professional support when someone you love is in crisis. Available across Greater Los Angeles and Southern California.
CADC-III, CCMI-M
Confidential
As featured in
What is a Crisis Intervention Specialist?
A crisis intervention specialist is a trained professional who guides families through a structured meeting designed to help a loved one accept professional help. They coordinate the planning, the conversation, and the immediate transition to treatment when the person is ready to say yes.
Lifestyle Interventions has supported Los Angeles families through crisis intervention for 16+ years. We work with families navigating substance use, mental health emergencies, and behavioral health crises. We are not a treatment facility. We are the people who help families decide what to do next.
Founder Chris Howard is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC-III, Sober College) and a Certified Case Manager Interventionist (CCMI-M, Breining Institute). He has guided hundreds of families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
When Los Angeles Families Call Us
We work with families across Greater Los Angeles when standard approaches have stopped working. Common situations include:
A loved one is using substances and refusing to address the problem
A young adult is showing signs of mental health crisis and the family is unsure where to turn
A family member has cycled through multiple treatment programs without lasting change
A professional or high-profile individual needs intervention support with discretion preserved
A psychiatric emergency has escalated and the family needs a steady, experienced hand
A clinician needs an intervention specialist for a patient who is not engaging with treatment
How a Crisis Intervention Works in Los Angeles
A professional crisis intervention follows a structured process. The goal is to create the conditions under which someone is ready to accept help, and to coordinate that help immediately when they say yes.
- 1
Day 0
Initial confidential consultation.
We listen first. You describe the situation, the family system, the history. We assess whether a structured intervention is the right next step. Some families need something else, and we will tell you so. The first conversation is at no cost and carries no obligation.
- 2
Days 1 to 14
Pre-intervention planning.
We meet with the family in person across Greater Los Angeles, or by secure video for out-of-area members. We coach the participants, develop the message, and identify the treatment options that fit the person’s situation before the meeting takes place.
- 3
The meeting
The intervention.
The structured meeting takes place at a location chosen with care: a family home, a private location, or sometimes a third-party setting. We facilitate the conversation. The family speaks. The goal is acceptance of treatment that day.
- 4
Same day
Immediate transition to care.
When the person agrees to treatment, we coordinate immediate placement. We have working relationships with treatment providers across Los Angeles and Southern California at every level of care.
- 5
Months ahead
Family support and recovery mentoring.
The intervention is the beginning, not the end. We stay involved with the family for weeks and months after the meeting, providing ongoing family support and recovery mentoring as needed.
Who We Work With in Los Angeles
Families in crisis
Parents, partners, and siblings watching someone they love struggle with addiction or mental health. Many have already tried everything they can think of and are not sure what to do next.
Sounds like:
- “We have tried everything.”
- “They will not listen to us.”
- “We do not know what to do next.”
Young adults who are not launching
Young people who have left school, are not working, or are stuck in patterns that stop them from building an independent life. Often these situations involve substance use, anxiety, or untreated mental health concerns.
Sounds like:
- “He will not get out of bed.”
- “She is using and we cannot tell how badly.”
- “They have given up on themselves.”
Professionals and high-profile individuals
Executives, public figures, and high-net-worth clients who need intervention support with discretion preserved alongside the professional process. We work quietly and confidentially.
Sounds like:
- “Privacy is not optional for us.”
- “This cannot become public.”
- “We need someone who has done this before.”
Clinicians referring out
Therapists and counselors who need an intervention specialist for a client who is not engaging with treatment, or who need a steady hand for a family they cannot reach alone.
Common reasons to refer:
- Patient is not engaging with care
- Family system is overwhelming the therapy
- Acute moment requires structured intervention
Why Los Angeles Families Choose Lifestyle Interventions
16+
Years of practice
Founder Chris Howard has guided hundreds of families through interventions. He holds CADC-III (Sober College) and CCMI-M (Breining Institute) and a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA.
LA
Based, not a call center
We are based in West Los Angeles and work in person across LA County, traveling when situations require it. The people who answer your call are the people who will be with your family through the intervention.
100%
Discretion non-negotiable
We have worked with families whose privacy must be protected for professional, legal, or personal reasons. That standard applies to every case, regardless of profile.
THE DIFFERENCE
Built for the long haul
We are not built around a thirty-day window. Acute care has a clear place in the system, and we coordinate that care when it is needed. But the work families come back to us for happens outside those short windows.
The family conversations that lead to acceptance, the mentoring that holds a person accountable for weeks and months after they leave a program, the steady honest contact that helps a family rebuild trust. That kind of work cannot be measured in 30-day blocks, which is why we do not try.
Where We Work Across Greater Los Angeles
We work with families throughout Los Angeles County and the surrounding regions. Common service areas include:
In-person service across all six zones, with same-day response when needed.
West LA
Sawtelle, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica
Beverly Hills
West Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Bel Air
Hancock Park
Mid-Wilshire, Larchmont, Silver Lake
San Fernando Valley
Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Tarzana, Calabasas
Pasadena
San Marino, Glendale, La Canada Flintridge
South Bay
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes
For situations outside Greater Los Angeles, we travel when families require in-person intervention work. We have supported families across Southern California and nationally. See also our pages on family intervention in Los Angeles and Los Angeles interventionist services.
What to Expect When You Call
The first call is a confidential conversation. There is no obligation, no pressure, and no enrollment process at the start.
We will ask you to describe the situation. We will listen. We will ask the questions that help us understand the family system and the person who is struggling. By the end of the call, you will have a clear sense of whether a professional intervention is the right step, and what the alternatives are if it is not.
If you are calling at a moment of acute crisis, we will tell you what to do next, whether or not we end up involved in what comes after. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or your local emergency services first.
Common Questions About Crisis Intervention in Los Angeles
A crisis intervention specialist plans and facilitates a structured meeting between a person in crisis and their family. The goal is to help the person accept professional help. The specialist coordinates the preparation, the conversation itself, and the immediate transition to treatment when the person agrees.
Families call when a loved one is in crisis and refusing help. Common triggers include substance use that the person will not address, repeated unsuccessful treatment, a mental health emergency, or a pattern of decline that the family cannot resolve alone.
No. Lifestyle Interventions is a crisis intervention, advisory, and recovery support service based in Los Angeles. We coordinate treatment with established providers but do not provide direct treatment ourselves.
We respond to calls For acute crises, we mobilize quickly and can often start work with a family the same day or the next. For planned interventions, we work with the family on the timeline that supports the best outcome, which usually means a planning window of several days to a few weeks before the meeting itself.
Founder Chris Howard holds a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential (CADC-III, Sober College) and a Certified Case Manager Interventionist credential (CCMI-M, Breining Institute). He holds a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and has substantial experience in behavioral health. The wider team brings additional credentials in mental health, family systems, and recovery support.
Yes. Discretion is non-negotiable for every family we work with. We do not discuss cases, we do not share names, and our clients’ privacy is protected at every stage of the engagement. For professionals, executives, and public figures, the standard of discretion is the foundation of how we operate.
We are based in Los Angeles and most of our work happens across Greater LA. We also travel when families outside the area need in-person intervention support, and we have worked with families across Southern California and nationally.
Costs vary based on the complexity of the case, the level of family involvement, and the scope of follow-up support. We discuss fees transparently during the initial consultation, with no obligation to proceed.
Before placement, families benefit from a simple framework for evaluating providers. Free guide: 7 questions to ask before choosing a treatment center.