Teen Crisis Intervention & Transport
When Normal Conversations Fail to Work
Parents who have already had discussions with their teen about substance use and addiction but continue to see no change in behavior may need to use a more dramatic approach and schedule an intervention with us. Teen interventions, not totally unlike those for adults, are deeply structured and pre-planned conversations designed to break through a teen’s resistance, suspicions, anger and denial - and get him or her into treatment. We are very experienced in teen interventions and recommend the following for parents or guardians considering this avenue…
Preparation is Key…
Talk with your spouse or partner: Make sure you are both on the same page. A united front is essential to success.
Prepare to be called a hypocrite: No one knows you better than your teen. If you drink, they know it. If you use drugs or used them as a teen, they know it. Be prepared to address these accusations and have a clear, non-defensive response.
Gather evidence: Evidence is the best answer to flat out denial. If you are concerned about your teen’s privacy and going through their belongings, remember that you are saving your child’s life.
Set a realistic goal with the interventionist: Work with us to arrive on a realistic goal for the intervention and a plan going forward. Planning and expectation setting are keys to success.
Recognize addiction in the family: If there is substance use or addiction in the family, point to that as an example of what substance use can result in.
Teen Treatment Transport
The decision to send your adolescent son or daughter to residential treatment for substance use disorder, behavioral problems, or mental health issues, is one of the most difficult you’ll ever make. Actually taking your teen to residential treatment can be equally, if not more, stressful.
Many families find that it is easier to say their goodbyes and “I love yous” in the privacy or their own home and use a professional third party to transport their teen to treatment. This can help minimize the chances of an emotionally charged situation upon admission. Having a responsible third party providing supervised, secure, and compassionate transportation and counsel on the journey to treatment creates a sense for the teen that there is no turning back, making the handoff to the treatment provider easier.
Not only does Bay Area Sober Services provide safe, secure, and supervised transportation for families sending their teen to treatment, we can also provide the same high level of secure service back home from treatment.
Surveillance / Runaway Teen Location Services
It should come as no surprise that teens in crisis or faced with the prospect of judicial action or going to residential inpatient treatment tend to run. Our Runaway Teen Location Services are designed for families of teens 13-17 years of age. The professionals at Bay Area Sober Services are experienced in the investigative expertise required to locate a teen on the run and safely and securely transport her back to her family or to a residential treatment program. We are also experts in interventions for adults and teens.
Bay Area Sober Services also offers surveillance services to help identify the location, activities, associates, and movements of missing teens for concerned families. Only after receiving a formal request from the parent retrieve the teen will we do so. If asked, we can also provide an intervention for the teen. We provide the parent or legal guardian a detailed report and develop a comprehensive plan to engage the teen in a “wellness check”.
For more details on our Teen Sober Services, please call (415) 596-3269.