Why is Withdrawal Care & Support important?
All youth AOD services and practitioners need to be (or link a client to) an effective source of care and support for young people in the process of withdrawing from substances. A practitioner’s capacity to understand and respond effectively to the specific needs of young people regarding withdrawal has been linked to positive treatment outcomes, treatment involvement and treatment retention (Kenny et al, 2009).

Among a range of benefits for clients, Kenny and colleagues (2009) found that suitable withdrawal care and support can:

  • Facilitate pharmacotherapy reduction or maintenance
  • Interrupt a pattern of high risk or heavy and dependent use
  • Provide an opportunity for ‘sobriety sampling’ (experimenting with and learning from the experience of being substance free)
  • Facilitate substance use stabilisation, reduction or abstinence
  • Address withdrawal symptoms adequately so to avoid physical and mental health complications
  • Links into further treatment and pro-social supports

Consideration for different practice contexts
Responsiveness, flexibility and continuity of care are all hallmarks of effective withdrawal care and support across a range of contexts. The specific role of practitioners in relation to withdrawal care and support across youth AOD practice contexts are detailed below.

Outreach and clinical settings
Practitioners working in outreach roles and clinical setting often have carriage of the overall care plan into which withdrawal is integrated. These practitioners:

  • Enable young people to set goals pertaining to substance withdrawal
  • Educate the young person and others involved in their care on what withdrawal involves
  • Provide detailed information on withdrawal options
  • Facilitate referral to withdrawal programs (including advocating for emergency admissions to residential programs
  • Participate in the assessment process for withdrawal programs
  • Continue to support clients on waiting lists and advocate for them to receive necessary services
  • Maintain contact and support with a young person throughout their withdrawal
  • Co-ordinate the involvement of support people
  • Prepare transition plans and ensure that care is continuous
  • Engage in harm reduction and relapse prevention with client post withdrawal

Day program
Practitioners in day programs don’t often have an individual casework role but can be instrumental in:

  • Building motivation for change
  • Educating the young person and others involved in their care on what withdrawal involves
  • Provide detailed information on withdrawal options
  • Facilitate referral to withdrawal programs (including advocating for emergency admissions to residential programs
  • Provide post-withdrawal support
  • Support harm reduction and relapse prevention post withdrawal

Residential & Home-based withdrawal programs
Residential and home based withdrawal programs are structured to facilitate substance withdrawal. This involves enabling a client to break the escalating cycle of AOD dependence and high-risk behavior. This meets the immediate need of many young people for safer and less harmful circumstances and supports longer term behaviour change. Practitioners in these programs:

  • Undertake continuous assessment and planning for withdrawal as part of overall care plans
  • Monitor withdrawal and provide supportive care
  • Facilitate medical treatment and pharmacotherapies are per service guidelines
  • Facilitate skill-building interventions to promote health and relapse prevention
  • Engage pro-social supports for young people and special treatment where required
  • Provide support to families, partners and significant others
  • Facilitate safe and smooth transition planning (including a focus on harm reduction & relapse

Residential rehabilitation and supported Accommodation

  • Assess clients for post withdrawal residential rehabilitation
  • Ensure smooth post withdrawal transition into residential rehabilitation