TEEN & YOUNG ADULT
Teen and Young Adult Intervention
Help for parents of a teenager or young adult who is using substances or in crisis. What changes when they are under 18, and what to do when they are over.
Contact Us →If your child is under eighteen
You have legal authority, and that is the main practical difference
What that means
You can arrange an assessment. You can consent to treatment. You do not need their agreement in the way you will in two years. California also has section 5585, a specific provision covering involuntary psychiatric holds for minors, with criteria similar to the adult 5150 provision.
That legal authority is worth acting on rather than waiting out. Parents often tell me they decided to wait and see, and the waiting took them past the point where they could decide anything. What has not changed is that a child who feels ambushed, shamed or managed will dig in. Authority gets you the appointment. It does not get you their cooperation, and cooperation is what makes treatment hold.
If your child is over eighteen
The legal picture reverses
You cannot consent to their treatment, access their records, or usually compel them to do anything.
What you keep is substantial, though it rarely feels like it: money, housing, access, relationship, and the family’s collective position. Those are the levers, and most families use them inconsistently without noticing. The For Parents of Adult Children page describes this in more detail.
The specific problem with young adults
Legally independent, still financially dependent
The years between eighteen and about twenty five are where families lose their grip most often, for a reason worth naming.
The young person usually still depends on you financially while being legally independent of you. So the family keeps paying while having no say, which is the worst of both arrangements. That gap is usually where the useful work is. Not in trying to regain authority you no longer have, but in deciding what you fund and under what conditions.
What I would not do
Three things to avoid
Do not send a teenager somewhere you have not thoroughly checked. Programmes marketed to desperate parents vary enormously in quality and oversight. Ask about licensing, accreditation, staff credentials and crisis procedure.
Do not involve the whole extended family. Teenagers experience a large gathering as humiliation, and humiliation produces secrecy. Do not make it about school performance. It is usually the first thing parents raise and the least persuasive thing to the young person.
Why Us
Why families and clinicians choose to work with me
CADC-III
Credentialed
I hold the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III credential (Sober College), one of the highest-level counseling credentials in California.
CCMI-M
Intervention-specific
I also hold the Certified Case Manager Interventionist credential (Breining Institute), the dedicated intervention-methodology credential. The strongest practitioners hold both.
2 Models
Matched to your family
I work in both the Johnson Model and the Invitational Model, and recommend the one that actually fits your family’s situation.
What tends to work
Fewer people, specific observations, concrete asks
Fewer people in the room. A sober, unhurried moment. Describing specific things you have seen rather than labelling them. Asking for something concrete, such as one appointment, rather than a commitment to change.
Then being quiet, and letting the answer come. The small ask is almost always more effective than the sweeping one, and it is what builds the next step rather than closing the door.
If someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. If they are talking about not wanting to be here, call or text 988. Los Angeles County residents can reach the Department of Mental Health ACCESS line on 800-854-7771.
Talk With Me
Talk with me in confidence
Call 866-826-0985 or email info@lifestyleinterventions.com to start a confidential conversation.
Frequently Asked
Frequently asked questions
Can I force my teenager into treatment?
If they are under eighteen you can generally consent to treatment on their behalf. The practical question is different from the legal one, because cooperation and outcome are closely linked and a child who feels ambushed will dig in.
What changes when they turn eighteen?
Almost everything legally. You can no longer consent to treatment or access records. What you keep is substantial, though it rarely feels like it: money, housing, access, relationship, and the family’s collective position.
Should the whole family be in the room?
Usually not for a teenager. Fewer people works better. Teenagers experience a large gathering as humiliation, and humiliation produces secrecy.
What is a 5585 hold?
The California provision covering involuntary psychiatric holds for minors. The criteria are similar to the adult 5150 provision.
My child is nineteen and still lives at home. What are my options?
You have no legal authority, but you have housing and money. That is usually where the conversation starts. The For Parents of Adult Children page describes this in more detail.
How do I choose a programme for a teenager?
Ask about licensing, accreditation, staff credentials and crisis procedure. Be cautious of anyone marketing heavily to worried parents.