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What does an interventionist do?
An interventionist is a credentialed professional who plans, facilitates, and follows through on a structured meeting designed to move a person who is refusing help to accepting it. The role requires training in both behavioral health counseling and intervention methodology, specifically.
The work has three parts. Thorough preparation with the family. Calm facilitation of the meeting itself. Immediate coordination of treatment when the person agrees. Each part requires specific skills, and the best interventionists are credentialed in both behavioral health counseling and intervention methodology.
At Lifestyle Interventions, founder Chris Howard holds the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential (CADC-III, Sober College) and the Certified Case Manager Interventionist credential (CCMI-M, Breining Institute). He has practiced in Los Angeles for 16+ years and has guided hundreds of families through this process.
We work with families directly and with clinicians who refer patients to us. Both situations begin the same way: a confidential first call. There is no cost and no obligation.
Chris Howard
Chris Howard is the founder of Lifestyle Interventions. Based in Los Angeles, he and the team support families across the United States.
When to call
When to work with an interventionist
We work with families across Greater Los Angeles when standard approaches have stopped working. Common situations include:
The family has tried everything. Direct conversations, boundaries, ultimatums. None of it is moving the person closer to accepting help.
Multiple failed treatment attempts. The person has cycled through programs and continues to use or refuses to engage with any of them.
Acute crisis stabilized but unresolved. A recent overdose, hospitalization, or arrest has stabilized. The window for action is closing.
Patient not engaging with clinical care. A therapist, psychiatrist, or case manager has a patient who needs intervention support outside the clinical hour.
High-profile case requiring discretion. An executive, public figure, or high-net-worth client requires intervention support with the highest privacy standards.
Young adult failure-to-launch. Adult child not in school or work, often with underlying substance use or mental health concerns, refusing all family attempts to help.
The process
How an engagement runs
Each engagement follows a structured arc. Specific timings vary by situation; the structure does not.
First call
A confidential conversation.
For families: the person, the history, and what has been tried. For clinicians: the patient, the family system, the clinical context. No cost, no obligation.
Pre-intervention
Preparation with the family.
With families: meeting in person across Greater LA to identify participants, develop the message, prepare each member, and line up treatment options. With clinicians, coordination within the bounds of the patient’s consent.
The day
The intervention meeting.
Structured meeting facilitated by a credentialed practitioner. Location chosen with care. The goal is acceptance of treatment that day.
Transition
Treatment transition.
When the person agrees, we coordinate placement. Working relationships with treatment providers across LA and Southern California at every level of care.
Months ahead
Long-arc engagement.
We stay involved with the family for weeks and months after the meeting. Recovery mentoring. Family support. The steady honest contact that supports lasting change. For referring clinicians: transparent updates within the bounds of patient consent.
Who we serve
How an interventionist differs from a therapist or case manager
Families and referring clinicians sometimes ask why the role of interventionist exists when therapists and case managers already work with the same population. The answer is that the three roles do different things. Done well, they work together.
The three roles complement each other. Our cases typically involve close coordination with the family’s existing therapist and any case manager who is already engaged. We do not compete for the clinical relationship; we add the specific work that the other roles do not do.
Why us
Why families and clinicians choose us
CADC-III
Credentialed
Founder Chris Howard holds the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor credential (Sober College), one of the highest-level counseling credentials in California.
CCMI-M
Intervention-specific
Chris also holds the Certified Case Manager Interventionist credential (Breining Institute), the dedicated intervention-methodology credential. The strongest practitioners hold both.
16+
Years of practice
More than sixteen years of guiding LA families through interventions. Hundreds of families. Real practice, not theory.
The difference
Built for the long haul
Most interventionists end the engagement at the moment the person walks into treatment. We do not. Acute intervention is one moment. The family work and recovery mentoring that follow are what give the moment a lasting effect.
| Acute treatment window | 30 days |
| Lifestyle Interventions engagement | Weeks → months → years |
We stay involved with families for months and sometimes years, because real change happens after the meeting, not just inside it.
Service area
Where We Work Across Greater Los Angeles
We work with families and referral partners throughout Los Angeles County and the surrounding regions. Common service areas include:
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For situations outside Greater Los Angeles, we travel when families require in-person intervention work. See also our pages on crisis intervention specialists, family intervention, recovery mentoring, and family support services in Los Angeles.
What to expect What to Expect When You CallThe first call is a confidential conversation. There is no obligation, no pressure, and no enrollment process at the start. For families, we will ask about the situation, the person, the history, and what has been tried. By the end of the call, you will have a clear sense of whether our work is the right fit and what the alternatives are if it is not. For clinicians, we will ask about the patient, the family system, and the clinical context. We will tell you honestly whether an intervention is what the situation needs, or whether something else is more appropriate.
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 | Frequently asked Common Questions About Working with an Interventionist in Los AngelesWhat is the difference between an interventionist and a therapist?+A therapist provides ongoing clinical care, usually in a sustained one-on-one or group format. An interventionist plans and facilitates a specific kind of structured meeting designed to move a person from refusing help to accepting it. The two roles complement each other. What credentials should I look for in an interventionist?+Look for credentials in both behavioral health counseling and intervention methodology specifically. The CADC family of credentials verifies counseling training. The CCMI, CIP, or BRI credentials verify intervention-specific training. The strongest practitioners hold both. Chris Howard holds CADC-III and CCMI-M. How is Lifestyle Interventions different from a treatment center?+We are not a treatment center. We are a Los Angeles-based intervention and recovery support service. We coordinate treatment with established providers on behalf of families, but we do not provide direct treatment ourselves. Do you accept referral fees from treatment centers?+No. We do not accept referral fees, kickbacks, or any form of compensation from treatment facilities. Our fees are paid by the families who engage us. This protects the independence of our recommendations. How quickly can you respond?+For acute crises, we move as quickly as the situation allows. For planned interventions, the planning timeline depends on the family and the complexity of the situation. Will my information be kept confidential?+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. Do you work with insurance?+Intervention services themselves are typically not covered by health insurance and are paid directly by the family. The treatment that we coordinate to follow the intervention is often covered by insurance, depending on the treatment program and the family’s coverage. Do you only work in Los Angeles?+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 supported families across Southern California and nationally. |
Before placement, families benefit from a simple framework for evaluating providers. Free guide: 7 questions to ask before choosing a treatment center.