Unlike evaluative roles, rather than describing a situation and making recommendations about how to improve situations, interventions are intended to create desired change in individuals and families. The different sub-roles with the Intervention category generally define who is to be involved in the process.
Per the standard appointment order, these services usually lead to updates every ninety days. The judge should expect discussion of goals, progress towards those goals, recommendations for associated services should there be any, as well as a general idea of what remains to be addressed therapeutically.
The length of time of these services varies. The most important variable in progress is the motivation of the participants. Also important is the complexity of the issue(s). Costs also vary depending on the motivation of the participants and complexity of the role. Typically, interventions can be completed in as little as three sessions and as much as more than a year.
Interventions may include:
Family Interventions:
Family interventions are appropriate with complex family dynamics. If the judge seeks changes within multiple individuals (e.g. parents learning to work with a child to learn better parenting techniques or multiple children working with parents to accept a divorce).
Co-Parenting Interventions:
Co-parent intervention is focused on treating both parents (or in some cases, including Step-parents). The typical goals include cooperation and communication to be more effective co-parents.
Individual Interventions:
Individual intervention is appropriate when there is one family member who appears to need change. Examples include a parent needing to overcome a drug or alcohol problem, a parent working on anger behavior issues, a parent with sexual addiction concerns, one parent who is unable to effectively share joint custody due to poor communication skills, a child who is depressed due to the divorce, etc.