NZQA Expiring unit standard
21920 version 4
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Title
Describe support for a mental health consumer/tangata whai ora
using alcohol or other drugs
Level
4
Credits
6
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to describe:
aspects of the use of alcohol and other drugs; how to respond
to a situation associated with the problematic use of alcohol
and/or other drugs; and how to support a mental health
consumer/tangata whai ora to minimise harm from their use of
alcohol and/or other drugs.
Classification
Mental Health > Support of Mental Health Consumers/Tangata
Whai Ora
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
Version 3 of this unit standard was republished in March 2012 to update the last date for
assessment for superseded versions to 31 December 2014.
1
Glossary
Alcohol and other drugs is the chosen term for this unit standard. Alcohol is a drug,
but it is specified for two reasons. First, reference to drugs may or may not be
interpreted to include alcohol. Secondly, specifying alcohol is an aid to people
searching the NZQA web site for unit standards related to the use or management of
alcohol.
Consumer/tangata whai ora is used as a generic term to denote people who are
users of mental health services. They may be referred to by various descriptive
terms in the range of mental health settings.
Characteristics and needs of the consumer/tangata whai ora may be physical,
spiritual, or mental. Characteristics and needs include: age and stage of
development; culture; disability; gender; health status; language; sexual orientation;
and needs for physical comfort, safety, and privacy.
Harm minimisation involves a range of approaches to reduce harm related to the use
of alcohol and/or other drugs. It is a comprehensive approach that uses realistic
strategies to take into account three interacting components: the people involved;
their social, physical, cultural and economic environments; and the alcohol or other
drugs themselves. Strategies will vary for different people in different circumstances,
but they share the aim of minimising the impact of the use of alcohol and other drugs
on individuals and their community. Abstinence based interventions can have a
place within a harm minimisation framework.
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Negative impacts may include but are not limited to: economic, health, effect on
meeting full potential, forgetfulness regarding medication, abuse or other violence,
crime, risky or illegal behaviours necessary to obtain and maintain use of alcohol and
other drugs, disruption to family or whānau, compromise of culture, effect on ability to
take part in cultural activities, other problems. Negative economic impacts may
include homelessness, poverty, unemployment, absenteeism, reduced productivity.
Negative health impacts include the impact on mental wellness and may include
emotional, physical, and spiritual impacts. Other problems may relate to driving,
learning, sexual activity.
Other drugs refers to both prescribed and non-prescribed drugs, and includes
anticholinergics, cannabis, benzodiazepines, inhalants, hallucinogens, opiates, and
nicotine and other stimulants.
Safe use is a relative concept that relates to the context and individual circumstances
of the consumer/tangata whai ora. Any definition of safe use acknowledges the
vulnerability of specific populations to the use of alcohol and other drugs; for
example, age, gender, culture, and health status. This unit standard recognises that
use of alcohol by a consumer/tangata whai ora is not necessarily unsafe or
problematic, and that use of other drugs may be legal or illegal.
2
Assessment notes
People awarded credit in this unit standard can outline the service provider's
standards for safe practice in dealing with needles and body fluids.
The following applies to the performance of all outcomes of this unit standard. All
activities must comply with:
a
service provider guidelines, protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans, kawa,
tikanga;
b
Mental Health Commission. 2001. Recovery competencies for New Zealand
mental health workers. Wellington: Mental Health Commission;
c
relevant cultural, legislative, and regulatory requirements, which include but are
not limited to: Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights 1996;
NZS 8134:2001, Health and Disability Sector Standards; Health and Disability
Services (Safety) Act 2001; Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; Human
Rights Act 1993; Official Information Act 1982; Privacy Act 1993.
3
Resources may include but are not limited to
a
Adams, John B.; McKergow, Timothy W.; Eds. 1993. Drugs in Psychiatry – An
Ashburn Hall Manual. 11th ed. Dunedin: Ashburn Hall Education and Research
Foundation.
b
Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand. Oct 2004. Hui Whakakotahi 2004 –
Proceedings from the 2004 Hui Whakakotahi 2004 in Rotorua. Wellington:
Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand.
c
American Psychiatric Association Task Force on DSM-IV. c1994. Diagnostic
and statistical manual of mental disorders – DSM-IV. Washington, DC:
American Psychiatric Association.
d
Huriwai, Terry; Sellman, J. Douglas; Sullivan, Patrick; and Potiki, Tuari L.
2000. Optimal Treatment for Maori with Alcohol and Drug-Use-Related
Problems: An Investigation of Cultural Factors in Treatment. Substance Use &
Misuse. 35(3). 281-300.
e
Hutt, Marten. 1999. Te iwi Maori me te inu waipiro: He tuhituhinga hitori: Maori
& alcohol: A history. Wellington: Health Services Research Centre for
Kaunihera Whakatupato Waipiro o Aotearoa/Alcohol Advisory Council of New
Zealand.
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f
MacEwan, Ian; and Ariell, Greg. 2003. Drinking and Your Health: Helping
Problem Drinkers. Wellington: Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand.
g
Ministry of Health. 2001. A national strategic framework for alcohol and drugs.
Wellington: Ministry of Health.
This resource is available from the Ministry of Health website:
http://www.moh.govt.nz
h
Rollnick, S.; Mason, P.; and Butler, C. 1999. Health Behavior Change: A Guide
for Practitioners. London: Churchill Livingstone.
i
Todd, Fraser; Sellman, J. Doug; Robertson, Paul. 1999. The assessment and
management of people with co-existing substance use and mental health
disorders – A paper commissioned for the Alcohol Advisory Council of New
Zealand; the Ministry of Health, New Zealand; and the Mental Health
Commission. Wellington: Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand.
j
World Health Organisation. 1992. The ICD-10 classification of mental and
behavioural disorders: clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva:
World Health Organisation.
k
The Alcohol Drug Association New Zealand has a useful website related to
alcohol and other drugs. The internet address is: http://www.adanz.org.nz
l
The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) has a series of Pacific Reports available
on its web site. The reports discuss the place of alcohol in the lives of people
from Tokelau, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Cook Islands and Samoa living in New
Zealand. The internet address for ALAC is: http://www.alcohol.org.nz
Note: the above references were current at the time of registration of this unit
standard. New editions of resources a, c, and j are published from time to time. It is
recommended that assessors and candidates use the editions that are current when
candidates are preparing for assessment against this unit standard.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe aspects of the use of alcohol and other drugs.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Alcohol and other drugs are described according to relevant factors.
Range
1.2
relevant factors – classification; signs and effects, including
positive feelings and negative impacts; continuum of use;
classification – alcohol; other drugs (refer to glossary definition for
range);
signs and effects – behavioural, physical, psychological, social;
positive feelings may include but are not limited to – belonging,
celebration, feeling good, getting by, relaxing, socialising;
negative impacts – refer to glossary definition;
continuum of use – abstinence, safe use, hazardous use, problem
use, dependence.
Factors that may contribute to the use of alcohol and other drugs are described.
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Range
1.3
issues may include but are not limited to – loss of whenua, use of
alcohol as a means of colonisation, change and loss of cultural
practices, cultural isolation, pattern of consumption.
Evidence is required in relation to two issues.
Issues related to Pacific Peoples and alcohol and other drugs are described.
Range
1.5
factors – biological, cultural, psychological, social, membership of
an 'at risk' group;
biological may include but is not limited to – family history of
problematic use; genetic and physiological differences in reaction
to intoxication, tolerance, dependence, and drinking behaviour;
cultural includes cultural factors within Māori and Pacific peoples'
cultures, and may include but is not limited to – cultural factors
within other cultures defined by ethnicity, cultural factors within
mental health consumer culture;
psychological may include but is not limited to – grief, pleasure,
symptom relief, trauma;
social may include but is not limited to – hostility, prejudice,
shame, socio-economic status, work pressures;
'at risk' groups may include but are not limited to groups defined
by – age, gender, disabilities, peer group, sexual orientation.
Evidence is required of two each of biological, cultural,
psychological, social factors, and one 'at risk' group.
Issues related to Māori and alcohol and other drugs are described.
Range
1.4
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issues may include but are not limited to – use of alcohol as a
means of colonisation, change and loss of cultural practices,
cultural isolation, pattern of consumption.
Evidence is required in relation to two issues.
Processes and services for intervention for people seeking assistance related to
the use of alcohol and other drugs are described.
Range
processes – screening, assessment, cultural assessment,
treatment (including brief and longer term treatment), after care;
services – cultural, crisis, detoxification, assessment, treatment,
peer support, services for people with co-existing disorders.
Evidence is required of two service providers in the local
community.
Outcome 2
Describe how to respond to a situation associated with the problematic use of alcohol
and/or other drugs.
Evidence requirements
2.1
The description identifies skills that could be used to respond to a situation
associated with the problematic use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
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Range
2.2
skills may include but are not limited to – raising and discussing
the issue, de-escalation, self-protection strategies, request for
Police assistance, referral to mental health support worker's
supervisor or the clinical team.
The description identifies priorities for responding to a situation associated with
the problematic use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
Range
2.3
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priorities – safety and wellbeing of the mental health support
worker; safety and well being of the consumer/tangata whai ora;
safety and well being of family/whānau and others affected by the
situation.
The description outlines the standards and resources of the service provider for
responding to a situation associated with the problematic use of alcohol and/or
other drugs.
Outcome 3
Describe how to support a mental health consumer/tangata whai ora to minimise harm
from their use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
Evidence requirements
3.1
The description outlines the change process involved in minimising harm from
the use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
Range
3.2
evidence is required in relation to a recognised model of change,
which may include but is not limited to the Stages of Change
model included in the resource referenced at explanatory note 3 f.
The description outlines ways of supporting the consumer/tangata whai ora
towards decisions and actions that minimise harm from their use of alcohol
and/or other drugs.
Range
ways may include but are not limited to – recognising there is an
issue; discussion with supervisor or others; raising the issue with
the consumer/tangata whai ora; encouraging the
consumer/tangata whai ora to take action; information giving;
referral.
Evidence is required of two ways.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
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21920 version 4
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Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
26 October 2005
31 December 2016
Review
2
18 March 2011
31 December 2016
Rollover
3
17 November 2011
31 December 2016
Republication
3
13 March 2012
31 December 2016
Rollover
4
22 May 2014
31 December 2016
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0150
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.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016