NZQA registered unit standard
26972 version 2
Page 1 of 4
Title
Describe interventions and models used by mental health and
addiction support workers when working with service users
Level
3
Credits
4
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to describe
interventions and a model used by mental health support
workers when working with users of mental health services in a
mental health setting; and describe interventions and a model
used by addiction support workers when working with users of
addiction services in an addiction setting.
Classification
Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Mental Health and
Addiction Support
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes:
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966;
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989;
Criminal Justice Act 1985;
Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003;
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers' Rights) Regulations 1996;
Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003;
Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003;
Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992;
Misuse of Drugs Act 1975;
Privacy Act 1993;
Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988.
2
New Zealand Standards relevant to this unit standard include:
NZS 8134.0:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (general) Standard;
NZS 8134.1:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (core) Standards;
NZS 8134.2:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (restraint minimisation and safe practice) Standards;
NZS 8134.3:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (infection prevention and control) Standards; available at
http://www.standards.co.nz/.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26972 version 2
Page 2 of 4
3
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders – DSM-IV-TR (4th ed., Text revision). Washington DC: Author; available at
http://www.psych.org;
Ministry of Health. (1998). Guidelines for clinical risk assessment and management in
mental health services. Wellington: Ministry of Health in partnership with the Health
Funding Authority;
Ministry of Health. (2008). Let’s get real: Real Skills for people working in mental
health and addiction. Wellington: Author; available at http://www.moh.govt.nz;
Te Pou o Te Whakaaro Nui: Le Va, Pasifika within Te Pou. (2009). Real Skills Plus
Seitapu – Working with Pacific Peoples. Auckland: Author; available at
http://www.leva.co.nz; or http://www.tepou.co.nz; or www.moh.govt.nz/mentalhealth;
The Werry Centre. (2008). Real Skills Plus CAMHS: A competency framework for the
infant, child and youth mental health and alcohol and other drug workforce. Auckland:
Author; available at http://www.werrycentre.org.nz; and http://www.moh.govt.nz;
Mental Health Commission – Te Kaitātaki Oranga; http://www.mhc.govt.nz.
4
In the context of this unit standard, support should aim to maintain, improve, or
restore a consumer’s independence and/or interdependence; utilise the consumer’s
existing strengths; and, where possible, utilise the resources of the local community.
5
Support provided for mental health and addiction service users may include natural
supports, which refers to any assistance, relationships, or interactions provided by
family/whānau, friends, peers, co-workers, or community volunteers.
6
For assessment, candidates’ practice must reflect appropriate values, processes,
and protocols in relation to working with Māori and Pacific peoples and/or people
from other cultures.
7
Definitions
Addiction refers to a ‘maladaptive pattern of substance use or problem gambling that
leads to a clinically significant impairment or distress. Substance use disorders and
pathological gambling disorder are characterised by dyscontrol, [increased]
tolerance, withdrawal, and salience [conspicuous behaviour], and they are
considered chronic relapsing conditions’ (Let’s get real, ‘Glossary’, p. 25).
In the context of this definition, maladaptive refers to any pattern of substance use or
problem gambling that is unconstructive or disruptive, and which does not assist or
promote the ability of a person to adjust the addictive behaviour which he or she is
exhibiting.
Clinical support refers to assistance or interventions provided by people whose scope
of practice is defined by the provisions of the Health Practitioners Competence
Assurance Act 2003; also referred to as the ‘regulated workforce’.
Interventions are actions taken to support a mental health and addiction service user,
and are based on the principles of resilience, recovery, and/or wellbeing.
Models include but are not limited to – strengths-based and recovery-based models,
Te Whare Tapa Whā, Te Wheke, Whānau Ora, Fonofale.
Service in the context of mental health and addiction can mean both the provider of
support to users, including but not limited to – government agencies, nongovernment organisations, community trusts, community support workers, specialist
units within DHBs; as well as the type of support offered, including but not limited to –
cultural or clinical service, rehabilitation, housing, therapeutic interventions,
counselling, crisis management.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26972 version 2
Page 3 of 4
Non-clinical support refers to assistance or interventions provided by people whose
scope of practice is not covered under the provisions of the Health Practitioners
Competence Assurance Act 2003; also referred to as the ‘non-regulated workforce’,
which includes care and support workers working in a range of residential,
community, and home-based settings.
Setting in the context of mental health and addiction means the place in which the
service is carried out, including but not limited to – a psychiatric unit within in a
hospital, community-based facility, local activity centre, home-based.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe interventions and a model used by mental health support workers when working
with users of mental health services in a mental health setting.
Range
evidence is required for three interventions and one model for a mental health
service in a mental health setting.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Support worker interventions and the model are described in terms of their
contributions to supporting users of mental health services.
1.2
Support worker interventions and the model are described in terms of
boundaries between clinical and non-clinical support.
Outcome 2
Describe interventions and a model used by addiction support workers when working with
users of addiction services in an addiction setting.
Range
evidence is required for three interventions and one model for an addiction
service in an addiction setting.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Support worker interventions and the model are described in terms of their
contributions to supporting users of addiction services.
2.2
Support worker interventions and the model are described in terms of
boundaries of own role.
Planned review date
31 December 2016
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26972 version 2
Page 4 of 4
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
9 December 2010
31 December 2012
Revision
2
15 September 2011
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0024
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Community Support Services ITO Limited info@careerforce.org.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016