8 Things Every Family Should Prepare Before an Intervention
A free, practical checklist to help you walk into the conversation prepared instead of hoping it goes well.
A calmer way to walk into the conversation
This free checklist covers the eight things I tell families to sort out before an intervention. It’s the practical stuff that decides how the day actually goes: who’s in the room, what each person says, and what happens the moment your loved one says yes. It’s free, and your information stays private.
When you’ve already run out of ideas
Most families don’t plan an intervention after one bad night. They plan one after years of trying everything they could think of, and watching none of it hold.
By the time you’re reading a page like this, you’re probably exhausted. You’ve had the conversation before, maybe a dozen times, and it went nowhere.
Here’s what I’d tell you if you called me. Most of those conversations weren’t wrong. They just weren’t prepared, and they happened one person at a time.
A loved one can wave off one worried parent on a Tuesday night. It’s much harder to wave off a family that’s calm, together, and holding a real option.
Eight things to sort out before the day
Every family is different, so there’s no script that fits everyone. But these eight questions come up in almost every intervention I’ve been part of, and the families who answer them first tend to have a very different day.
Who’s in the room
Who your loved one actually trusts, and who’s too close to help right now.
What each person says
The one thing each person will say, agreed on before anyone sits down.
The option on the table
A real next step arranged in advance, so a yes doesn’t become a week of phone calls.
Timing and place
When they’re most likely to hear you, and where nobody feels cornered.
If they say no
What you’ll do, calmly, if the answer is no. Deciding this early keeps the day from unraveling.
What changes either way
The boundaries your family is ready to hold, whichever way it goes.
The day after
Who’s handling what once the conversation ends, because that’s where families get lost.
If things escalate
The safety plan, and the numbers to call if anyone is in danger.
You’ll also get a one-page version you can keep beside you while you plan.
Is this checklist right for your situation?
This checklist is for you if you’re…
- A parent, spouse, or sibling thinking seriously about an intervention.
- Sure something needs to change, but unsure how to start without making it worse.
- Trying to get your family on the same page before anyone talks to your loved one.
Not the right step right now if…
- Someone is in immediate danger.
- There’s a medical or psychiatric emergency happening right now.
About Lifestyle Interventions
Lifestyle Interventions is a Los Angeles intervention and recovery advisory service founded by Chris Howard. I help families plan the conversation, prepare for resistance, and arrange the next step before the intervention happens.
I’m not a therapist and I’m not a treatment provider. My job is to bring structure and calm to a conversation that’s been going badly, and to make sure something real is waiting on the other side of it.
I put this checklist together because families deserve to walk in prepared, not hoping. Related pages: Crisis Interventions, Family Support Services, and Recovery Mentoring.
Send me the free checklist
I’ll send it to you shortly. No calls. No pressure.
I’ll send your checklist shortly. Your information stays private and is never shared. Please don’t include personal health details in this form. Privacy Policy
Frequently asked questions
Is the checklist really free?
What’s inside it?
Will someone call me after I download it?
Do we need a professional to do an intervention?
What if our family can’t agree on whether it’s time?
Do you work with families outside Los Angeles?
Is my information kept private?
Preparing well changes the conversation. You don’t have to prepare alone.
Download the checklist. When your family is ready to talk it through, a confidential conversation is a quiet first step.
Authoritative places to learn more
For more information on the topics in this checklist, I recommend these national, government-backed sources: