When a person begins to exhibit unusual behavior due to an addiction, it is often first noticed at work. Since co-workers spend the most time around someone, they are usually the ones that see things that are out of character for the person. For example, the addict may call into work more often or arrive late and not be as alert as usual. They may make more mistakes or exhibit other behaviors that over time lead to the conclusion that they are dependent on some drug or alcohol.

How Employers Can Help

Instead of relieving an addicted employee of their job, an employer may want to help them make the needed change. If the employee was a valuable member of the team prior to the addiction with an outstanding performance record, it can be in the employer’s best interest to keep them. An executive intervention differs from other types of intervention in the fact that it is usually held with co-workers and managers or employers as well as family.

The Needed Support

An executive intervention can show the employee that they have the support of their co-workers and give them the strength to make the change. It can help them realize the seriousness of the situation and the danger of job loss if they do not seek help. While the intervention is conducted in a positive manner, it is designed to show the person what they need to do as well as the results if they don’t.

Family members are also often involved in a workplace intervention to show the person that they have supported both at work and at home. It also proves to them that their behavior is affecting them in both arenas. This can be the wake-up call they need to get them to seek help, especially if they believe that they have been hiding their addiction from their co-workers.

How a Professional Can Help

Employers may want to help their employee but not know how. Working with a professional intervention specialist will show them the steps they need to take. It will prepare them to see a side of their employee they may not have seen in the past and it will show them what to say and how to say it. A professional specialist like KD Consulting can help the employer create a plan for the intervention and teach them how to remain calm in an unpredictable situation.

Having a professional involved can give the employer and staff members that are involved with the confidence that they are doing the right thing and help them deal with the emotions of the situation. Since this employee is a valued member of the team, his co-workers are like family and their emotions are involved, too. We can help you deal with that in a positive way as you attempt to bring about change in your employee.

Call KD Consulting today to learn more about executive intervention and how you can help save your employee. We can provide the information and assistance you need to make a difference.

The post Employee Workplace and Executive Interventions first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

Florida’s Baker Act means in which a person who poses a significant harm to himself or others can be voluntarily committed for care by mental health professionals. However, involuntary commitment does not mean that the patient does not have certain rights the patient or patient’s guardian is not able to assert. Any patient entering a mental health facility must be informed of these rights at the time of commitment.

Basic Rights Under The Baker Act

Patients have certain basic rights under the Baker Act. Some of these rights include:

• Any parent who is held by a facility by more than 12 hours, must be given a physical examination by a qualified professional within 24 hours of entering the facility.
• Patients must receive an individual treatment plan in writing within 5 days after being admitted and the Patient or patient’s guardian must be given the opportunity to assist in the preparation of the plan and be given the opportunity to review the plan. The plan must also include space for the patients to make comments.
• Patients or patient’s guardian must be asked to give informed consent to treatment and before giving permission patients and/or their guardians must be given certain information including; the reason for admission, the proposed treatment, risks, benefits and side effects of treatments, dosages of any medications, length of care, what the possible effects of stopping treatment should be, how the treatment will be monitored, and that the consent for treatment can be withdrawn either before treatment has started or during the treatment.
• Patients or Patient’s guardians are allowed to question the legality of any commitment
• The ability to petition the court if the patient is being denied any of their rights.

What You Need to Know About Involuntary Commitment

If an involuntary exam has been initiated, then the exam must take place within 72 hours of the time that the patient enters the hospital or facility. If after an examination, it is found that the patient does not meet the criteria necessary for involuntary commitment the patient can be offered voluntarily treatment or releases.

If the patient does meet the criteria for involuntary commitment a court hearing must take place within 5 days. The patient or the patient’s guardian has the right to have an independent exam prior to the meeting or before the court hands down their order.

If the court decides involuntary commitment is necessary they can order the commitment which can be effective for up to 6 months. However, the facility is required to release the patient any time they improve to the point that they no longer meet the criteria for involuntary commitment.

The court order must also specify the nature and extent of a Patient’s mental illness. The court also has the option of ordering outpatient treatment instead of inpatient treatment if the court deems outpatient treatment is necessary and will better serve the patient.

If you need assistance in filing an order in the state of Florida for mental illness please contact us for step by step assistance at 866-631-0026.

The post How to File The Florida’s Baker Act Order first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

If you are at the point of considering crisis intervention, you recognize the seriousness of the situation you are in.  You know your loved one is beyond other means of help and is spiraling down a path that can only lead to a bad end.  You may be feeling powerless to help and overwhelmed at the situation.  The person involved is out of control and the situation is tearing your family and friendships apart.  When it reaches the point where you need intervention, you have no other hope left.

Facing the Facts

A crisis intervention is supposed to help the loved one face the facts of their behavior.  Not only on what it is doing to that person but how it affects the family and friends.  With a crisis intervention, this is done in an organized, professional manner where everyone has a chance to speak without being disrespectful.

Prior to the intervention, you will plan what you have to say so that it is done in a calm manner in an attempt to get your point across to the loved one.  You can expect anger and hostility in them because you are asking them to do something they don’t want to do.  A crisis intervention helps you to be able to deal with their attitude without getting upset yourself.

Group Support

An intervention is not done to isolate the loved one; rather the goal is to show support to them to help them get through the situation and reach out for the assistance they need.  By bringing everyone together, you demonstrate how much support the person has to rely on.  This can give them the strength they need to face their addiction.

This step also provides support for the family and friends of the loved one who may have felt that they were all alone in the situation.  They see how it affects others and the common bond they share.

Working with a Crisis Intervention Professional

Crisis interventions can be volatile and frightening for the family and friends.  They can also be damaging to the loved one if not conducted in the right way.  When you work with a professional who has experience in intervention, you have the confidence to know you are taking the right steps.  They can prepare you for what the intervention will bring and help you handle it in the correct manner.

The specialists at KD Consulting have worked with many families and friends of addicts to organize successful interventions.  We will work with you on creating a plan and prepare you for what to say and how to react to your loved one.  This support and education can help you get through a tough time and know that you are doing the right thing.

If you have a loved one who is an addict and you are at the end of your hope, contact KD Consulting today at 866-631-0026.  We specialize in hopeless situations just like yours and can help you approach your loved one in a way that will bring about change.

The post Crisis Addiction and Mental Health Interventions first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

During treatment, you’re surrounded by people who support your commitment to recovery. Counselors, therapists, group leaders, family members, and many other people want to see you succeed, and they’ll do whatever they can to help.

But what happens during those first scary, slippery days after treatment? When you step back into the outside world, will you be ready to make the right choices?

There can be tremendous temptation to make dangerous choices—even just to see if you can handle it. In that one tragic, self-destructive moment, many people throw away everything they learned in treatment. Don’t let yourself (or someone you love) be one of those people!

So how can you resist the people, places, and things so connected to addiction in your mind, once you’re back on your own? With KD Consulting’s Life Coaching program, you won’t have to be “on your own”—your personal coach will be right next to you, every step of the way.

What exactly will your Life Coach do for you (or your family member)? You won’t be handcuffed together if that’s what you’re thinking. Your coach will be looking out for you, helping to put time and distance between you and temptation. While not a licensed therapist, your coach is someone who’s been where you are, and can talk you through the toughest parts of early recovery.

You’ll meet at the treatment center, then drive home together. Immediately, you and your coach will begin developing your personal after-care program: a contract between the two of you—based on your goals and objectives. The purpose of this after-care program is to help you begin learning how to meet your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs as a clean and sober person.

As part of this contract, you’ll attend a regular schedule of 12-Step meetings, counseling sessions, or medical appointments, planned around your work or school hours. You’ll also be spending plenty of time with your family. Chances are, they’re going to be very happy to see you now!

Could you (or someone you love) use the added support of a Life Coach—someone trained to help you get through the toughest times, and help you build a solid foundation for the rest of your life? Then call KD Consulting at 866-631-0026.

The post Recovery Life Coach first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.