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Title / Support addiction service users with self-reporting screening tools and brief interventions
Level / 4 / Credits / 5
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe self-reporting screening tools and support addiction service users to use a self-reporting screening tool; and support addiction service users with brief interventions.
Classification / Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Mental Health and Addiction Support
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Legislation 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.
2New 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 8134.3:2008Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability services (infection prevention and control) Standards.
New Zealand Standards are available from
3References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders – DSM-IV-TR (4th ed., Text revision). WashingtonDC: Author; available at
Babor, T. F., & Higgins-Biddle, J. C. (2001). Brief intervention for hazardous and harmful drinking: A manual for use in primary care. Geneva: World Health Organization; available at
Mental Health Commission – Te Kaitātaki Oranga;
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; available at
Ministry of Health. (2008). Let’s get real: Real Skills for people working in mental health and addiction. Wellington: Author; available at
National Addiction Centre: University of Otago, & Matua Raki National Addiction Treatment Workforce Development Programme. (n.d.). Orientation to the addiction treatment field Aotearoa New Zealand. Christchurch: Author; available at
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1982). Transtheoretical therapy: Toward a more integrative model of change. Psychotherapy: theory, research and practice, 19(3), 276-288.
Rollnick, S. & Miller, W. R. (1995). What is motivational interviewing? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 325-334.
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
The Werry Centre. (2009). 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
Todd, F. C. (2010). Te Ariari o te Oranga: The assessment and management of people with co-existing mental health and substance use problems. Wellington: Ministry of Health; available at
4Support should aim to: maintain, improve, or restore a person’s independence and/or interdependence; utilise the person’s existing strengths; and, where possible, utilise the resources of the local community.
5This unit standard cannot be assessed against in a simulated environment. For assessment, candidates must demonstrate competence in the workplace through paid or unpaid employment, or in placements in a service provider workplace negotiated by an education provider.
6Support provided for mental health and addiction service users may include natural supports.
7Candidates’ practice must reflect appropriate values, processes, and protocols in relation to working with Māori and Pacific peoples and/or people from other cultures, in a range of settings and environments.
8Definitions
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). ‘Maladaptive’ in the context of this definition 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.
Addiction service user in the context of this unit standard refers to a person accessing services in a mental health or addiction setting. Service users may also be known as consumers, clients, patients, tūroro, or tangata whai ora in particular contexts and settings.
Brief interventions are short, one-on-one counselling sessions that are aimed at a person who has not openly reported an addiction issue, rather than an individual who has actively sought help for an addiction issue. They aim to identify an actual or potential problem and motivate the person to do something about it.
Candidate refers to the person seeking credit for this unit standard.
Organisation’s policies and procedures are the policies and procedures of the employing organisation of the candidate and include ethical codes, standards, and other organisational requirements.
Self-reporting screening tool(s) include but are not limitedto the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT – adult), and the Substances and Choices Scale (SACS – youth).
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe self-reporting screening tools.
Rangeevidence is required for – one self-reporting screening tool that is age-appropriate for adult addiction service users, and one self-reporting screening tool that is age-appropriate for youth addiction service users.
Evidence requirements
1.1Self-reporting screening tools are described in terms of their utility to elicit data to support the addiction service user in accordance with the references.
Outcome 2
Support addiction service users to use a self-reporting screening tool.
Rangeevidence is required of support for one adult addiction service user and one youth addiction service user.
Evidence requirements
2.1Addiction service users are supported to use a self-reporting screening tool that is approved by the candidate’s organisation.
Rangesupport includes – supplying self-reporting screening tool to service user, explaining instructions, answering questions within scope of practice, providing referral mechanism(s).
Outcome 3
Support addiction service users with brief interventions.
Rangesupport includes – explaining purpose of brief intervention to service user, explaining desired outcomes, answering questions within scope of practice, providing referral mechanism(s), administering brief intervention;
evidence is required of support for two addiction service users.
Evidence requirements
3.1Support for addiction service users with brief interventions is focused on identifying actual or potential addiction issues and motivating addiction service users to take action on these issues.
3.2Brief interventions are used to identify possible future forms of action for addiction service users.
Rangepossible future forms of action may include but are not limited to – motivational interviewing, referral.
3.3Support is carried out within the boundaries of the candidates’ role and in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Planned review date / 31 December 2016Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 21 July 2011 / N/A
Revision / 2 / 17 May 2012 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0024
This CMR can be accessed at
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 if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Community Support Services ITO LimitedSSB Code 101814 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018