Intervention Strategies for Behavioral Health Disorders
To better assist our providers we have compiled Best Practice Intervention Strategies for a number of behavioral disorders. Click on each disorder below to learn more.
- Individual Psychotherapy focusing on cognitive behavioral techniques
- Family therapy to improve communication and to serve as a source of support
- Group therapy with peers to develop social and interpersonal skills
- Take prescribed medications consistently and monitor for side effects, if applicable
- Develop increased anxiety management skills and self-confidence
- Develop effective problem-solving skills
- Assess routinely for suicidality
- Participate in a medical evaluation to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing or contributing to anxiety
- Transmissible infectious diseases and other bio-medical history (provide targeted risk-reduction counseling as indicated)
- Co-occurring mental health or behavioral problems (ensure concurrent AOD and mental health treatment, as indicated)
- Potential for withdrawal symptom severity and the need for medications
- Motivation for change (using the Prochaska Stages Of Change model)
- Protective factors and risk factors in the recovery environment
- Potential for relapse
- Participate in a medical evaluation to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing or contributing to anxiety
- Participate in a psychiatric evaluation and take all medications as prescribed
- Develop and practice positive coping skills to manage stress and anxiety (Such as adequate rest, proper nutrition, physical exercise, and recreational activities/hobbies)
- Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and guided imagery
- Learn to recognize the difference between emotional and physical reactions to anxiety
- Participate in systematic desensitization of feared stimuli while practicing relaxation strategies
- Identify a social support team and increase participation in social activities
- Identify negative self-talk and replace with positive statements
- Involve family members in psycho-education about anxiety to increase
- Understanding and support
- Recognize, verbalize and address unresolved emotional issues
- Educate parents on ADHD management
- Increase parent/child symptom awareness
- Parental tracking of assignments, chores, and home responsibilities
- Rule out comorbid disorders
- Assess for possible presence of parental psychopathology interfering with treatment
- Take prescribed medications consistently and monitor for side effects
- Develop and utilize effective study skills
- Delay instant gratification in pursuit of long-term goals
- Develop increased anxiety management skills and self-confidence
- Develop effective problem-solving skills
- Increase verbalization of acceptance of responsibility for behaviors
- Identify stressors and emotions that trigger hyperactivity and impulsivity
- Identify constructive outlets for energy
- Conduct client education and family education as appropriate
- Increase recognition of symptoms and signs of episodes
- Confirm diagnosis of co-morbid conditions and treat accordingly
- Monitor medication compliance and side effects
- Regulate daily routines for sleep, activity, and relaxation
- Increase awareness of interactions between medications and various foods, over-the-counter medications, as well as alcohol and caffeine
- Identify stressors that trigger manic or depressive moods/episodes
- Develop effective stress management skills
- Identify positive coping skills for managing emotions
- Increase awareness of signs of relapse
- Develop personal support system and a plan for emergencies with support persons
- Stress the need for continued medication compliance after stabilization
- Develop and practice healthy stress management and coping skills
- Develop and practice healthy problem-solving and communication skills (including how to effectively negotiate and compromise)
- Develop and practice healthy ways to monitor and control impulses
- Identify the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions
- Identify and replace cognitive distortions and negative self-talk (avoid all-or-nothing, black-or-white, and catastrophic patterns of thinking)
- Develop and practice a routine of physical exercise, activity, and social involvement
- Identify, verbalize, and address any unresolved grief or loss issues
- Acknowledge the presence of any self-harm thoughts or suicidal thoughts and develop a personal safety plan to avoid acting on them (suicide is among the three leading causes of death for people ages 15-44)
- Participate in a psychiatric evaluation and take all prescribed medications as instructed
- Rule out other psychiatric disorders (e.g., grief reaction, personality disorders, Dysthymia)
- Rule out medical disorders (e.g., hypothyroidism)
- Rule out depression-inducing medications (e.g., steroids)
- Rule out Substance Use Disorder
- Participate in a psychiatric evaluation and take all medications as prescribed
- Use a thought stopping strategy to interrupt cognitive obsessions
- Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing
- Consider learning and practicing the Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) technique by confronting feared situations and objects (exposure) and resist performing compulsive rituals (response prevention)
- Recognize, discuss, and refute dysfunctional beliefs (e.g., magical or catastrophic thinking patterns)
- Develop and practice a daily ritual to interfere with the current compulsive pattern
- Identify, verbalize, and address unresolved life issues
- Provide psycho-education for family members and encourage their support for the patient during treatment
- Develop and practice positive self-talk
- Train parents in behavior modification techniques
- Confirm diagnosis to rule out similar diagnoses that mimic ODD symptoms
- Review parenting techniques to assess effectiveness of training
- Monitor medications if prescribed for co-morbidity (e.g., ADHD, Depression)
- Develop effective problem-solving skills
- Develop appropriate assertiveness skills
- Increase anger management skills
- Assist parents in developing contracts/reward system for positive behavior
- Increase acceptance of responsibility for behaviors
- Decrease impulsivity and identify alternate appropriate behaviors
- Maintain communication between all contexts: parents, school, and community
- Conduct client education about PTSD
- Confirm proper diagnosis and presence of additional diagnosis (e.g., Depression, Anxiety)
- Increase awareness of symptoms
- Identify events that trigger stress
- Decrease guilt, shame, or anger
- Confirm compliance with medications and monitor for side effects
- Develop effective relaxation skills
- Increase coping skills to manage anxiety
- Develop or increase anger management skills
- Increase social/communication skills
- Conduct education on relapse prevention and warning signs
- Consider appropriate medication for repetitive nightmares, flashbacks, and mood lability
Compiled from multiple sources; citations available upon request.