An intervention for a young adult is a structured family conversation that asks a son or daughter, usually between 18 and their mid-twenties, to accept help for drinking or drug use. Parents often still pay for school, rent, a phone or a car, and a good plan uses that support thoughtfully, as an invitation rather than a punishment.
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Worried about your young adult? Talk with our intervention team. Your first call is free.
What is different about young adults
A young adult is legally an adult but often still depends on the family in practical ways. That creates both a challenge and an opening. The challenge: they can refuse treatment, and privacy laws generally let them decide what doctors, schools and treatment programs share with you, with limited exceptions. The opening: the support you provide gives you a real voice in what happens next.
This page is about adults 18 and older. Families of teens ages 13 to 17 can read our page on intervention for a teenager, and in Los Angeles the outpatient therapy and psychiatry services offered through The Blackburn Group work with teens and families.
Patterns parents often describe:
- Grades collapsing, classes dropped, or a phone call from the dean of students.
- Moving back home after school and not moving forward: no job, no plan, nights awake and days asleep. Some families call this “failure to launch”.
- Vaping cannabis all day, heavy weekend drinking that has spread into the week, or pills bought from friends.
- Anxiety or depression that seems to be getting worse alongside the substance use.
- Long hours gaming or online that crowd out sleep, work and friends, often next to drinking or drug use.
Counterfeit pills and fentanyl
Young adults are often the ones buying “Xanax”, “Percocet” or “Adderall” from a friend or through social media. Pills bought that way may be fake and may contain fentanyl, as the CDC warns in its overdose prevention resources. Even if you believe your child only uses cannabis or alcohol, keep naloxone at home and in their dorm or apartment, and talk about it openly. If they are in danger, call 911. If they mention suicide, call or text 988.
Using your support wisely
Parents of young adults often hold more practical influence than they realize: tuition, rent, a car, a phone plan, health insurance, spending money. Used well, that influence can move a young person toward help. Used as a threat in anger, it usually backfires.
- Say yes to recovery and no to the use. “We will pay for treatment and the help that comes after. We will not pay for an apartment where you are using.”
- Agree as parents first, including a parent who lives in another household. Young adults are expert at finding the gap between two parents.
- Change one thing at a time if that is all you can sustain, and keep it consistent.
- Keep health insurance in place. Cutting coverage can make treatment harder to reach.
When your young adult is away at college
An intervention for a college student raises practical questions: whether to finish the term, how withdrawal or medical leave affects tuition and financial aid, and what happens to housing. Most colleges have a dean of students office that handles medical leave and can explain the options to your student. Gather that information before the intervention so you can answer “but what about my classes?” calmly.
Distance is not a barrier for our team. We are based in Los Angeles and travel to families anywhere in the United States, so the intervention can take place near campus, at home over a break, or wherever makes sense. Treatment can also be anywhere in the country.
What to say to a young adult
Young people are quick to hear judgment. Keep the tone warm and the request concrete. Examples:
- “We are proud of who you were becoming before this. We have watched that person slip away this year.”
- “You told us you were going to class. The school says you have not been since October. We are not angry; we are worried.”
- “There is a program for people your age. It is ready now. We will drive you there ourselves.”
Our intervention guide covers choosing who speaks and how to rehearse. For substance-specific planning, see our pages on alcohol and drugs, including fentanyl and stimulants.
What can come after
Depending on what your young adult accepts, support can include an escort to treatment through our sober companion service, help choosing a program anywhere in the United States, and coaching for parents. For young men coming to Los Angeles after treatment, options can include sober living for young men on the Westside (our homes are for men only), recovery mentoring, case management, and family drug testing through Blackburn Monitoring. We do not pay for referrals, and every recommendation is your family’s choice. Learn more about what happens after an intervention, what to do if they refuse, and what affects intervention costs.
Young adult intervention questions
Can we make our 19 year old go to treatment?
Generally, an adult has to agree to treatment, even at 19. Some states allow family members to petition a court in certain circumstances, and the rules differ by state. Ask an attorney in your state about your situation.
Should we stop paying for college?
That depends on your family. Many parents shift support so it pays for treatment and recovery rather than a life where use continues. Decide together before the intervention, explain it calmly, and keep health insurance in place.
Can the treatment program tell us how our son or daughter is doing?
Usually only with your young adult’s written permission. Asking them to sign that permission can be part of what you request during the intervention.
Do you work with gaming or screen problems?
Yes. Heavy gaming often appears alongside drinking or drug use, and we look at the whole picture when a family calls. Our page on gambling and other behavioral addictions covers gaming, screens and spending.
Do you do interventions for teenagers under 18?
Yes, for teens ages 13 to 17. This page covers adults 18 and older; for a younger teen, see our page on intervention for a teenager, or call or text our team to talk through options.
Free tools for families: the intervention readiness checklist, 15 questions to ask an interventionist, and our intervention letter guide with templates.
Talk with us about your young adult.