Interventions. Are they merely mercinary?

Some feel that if people in recovery "do interventions" for hire they are doing what others in AA or NA would do for not fee at all. They are just doing the interventions because it is "consistent with the principles of the program (i.e. AA or NA).

I'm not so sure about that.

I had the opportunity to participate in an "intervention". Four of us came charging up the stairs of his apartment to find him smoking crack.
"OK guys, I'm busted" he squawked out.
Then what? Nothing. There was no preparation to insure that the "intervention" had some worthy goal. No, no end goal. We just verbally beat on him for a few minute. Then we left.

Would an interventionist have such an outcome? I don't think so. An interventionist is there to get a well defined job done. Do they all end on a positive note? Well...yes and no. The target might not agree to go to rehab (or agree to whatever proposition), but in each case they will have heard the concern of their family members. They will find themselves in the position that they couldn't ignore the problem any longer. As well, the family will finally have provided a unified front. They well have stepped out from behind their codependent roles, to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

To be able to pull this off, takes some knowledge, preparation, and skill.
The interventionist is exercising a set of skills that go beyond their identity as a person in recovery or a member of AA or NA.

If the members of AA or NA already filled the role of interventions, there would be no reason for "outside" interventionists.

So lets be careful about being so critical of interventionists. They're providing a service. The result of which often ends in the individual going into treatment, which also results in many, many individuals, finally having their first experience with the fellowships.