Building alcohol and other drugs knowledge to reduce restrictive practices

Building AOD knowledge is a practical, evidence-informed suite of resources designed to strengthen kaimahi capability in responding safely, confidently, and respectfully to tāngata whai ora experiencing alcohol or other drug (AOD) use, intoxication, or withdrawal in inpatient mental health settings.

The suite supports services across Aotearoa to:

• reduce the use of restrictive practices
• build culturally safe, mana enhancing, and trauma informed environments
• recognise and respond to AOD related needs
• support wellbeing and safety for tāngata whai ora, whānau, and kaimahi
• strengthen whanaungatanga, partnership, and equity in practice.

Grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and shaped by Māori, Pasifika, clinical, and lived experience expertise, this resource suite focuses on building kaimahi confidence in situations that can otherwise feel stressful or high-risk.

Many tāngata whai ora accessing acute mental health services also experience intoxication, withdrawal, substance related distress, or co existing AOD and mental health challenges. For kaimahi, this can create uncertainty around safety, risk, assessment, and next steps.

Research shows that:

• kaimahi education improves safety, confidence, and care quality
• trauma informed and culturally grounded responses reduce escalation
• AOD literacy significantly reduces the use of restrictive practice.

This suite provides practical tools that support early recognition, de escalation, harm reduction, and whole person responses.

The suite includes six e-learning modules plus additional resources to support safe, least restrictive, and AOD informed practice.

Each module includes evidence summaries, practical scenarios, reflective activities, and short video content.

The modules cover:

1. Addressing stigma and discrimination | Te Whakakāhore i te Whakamā me te Tōkeke: Practical strategies, language guides, and scenarios emphasise how stigma contributes to escalation, disengagement, and restrictive responses, and how mana enhancing communication improves safety and connection.
2. Diagnostic overshadowing | Te pōhēhē tautuhi: Tools and examples help kaimahi identify when symptoms may be misattributed to substance use, mental health diagnosis, or perceived behaviour, and support more accurate, equitable assessment.
3. Safety and wellbeing | Haumaru me te oranga: Guidance on holistic risk assessment, workforce wellbeing, trauma informed practice, and responding to distress without coercion.
4. Harm reduction | Whakamitimiti puna mamae: Evidence based harm reduction tips, culturally grounded strategies, and real-world dialogues support safer practice with tāngata whai ora who use substances.
5. Screening and assessment | Mōhiotanga me te aromatawai: Clear explanations of when and how to use tools such as AUDIT, ASSIST, CIWA Ar, COWS, SACS, UDS, and clinical observation during intoxication or withdrawal.
6. Continuity of care | Te toitūtanga o te manaaki: Guidance on warm handovers, shared care, working with AOD services, emergency services, cultural supports, and whānau-centred models of care.

Note you will need to sign into Pūkoro to access these e‑learning modules.

These tools sit alongside the e learning to support everyday practice; they can be used in any order and combination you find helpful.

This short video series has been created to support kaimahi across the mental health sector to build confidence, compassion, and safety in everyday practice. Each video offers a practical scenario grounded in real world challenges such as stigma, cultural safety, de-escalation, and harm reduction showing what mana enhancing, least restrictive practice looks like in action. These bite-sized resources are designed to spark reflection, strengthen skills, and reinforce approaches that uphold the dignity, voice, and wellbeing of tāngata whai ora and their whānau.