Walk With Me Project

The Walk With Me Project: Pathways to alcohol and other drug early intervention and withdrawal management responds to several findings and recommendations in the WA Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce Final Report (external site):

• The challenges people face with accessing drug and alcohol services; and without help to do so – juxtaposed against the relative ease of access to substances: meth users on the "Take a walk with me" working group have made statements such as "I'll find you three shots in 15 minutes."
• The need to improve access to alcohol and drug services, including withdrawal management care.
• The need to intervene early to prevent entrenched use and reduce drug-related harm, promoting the use of screening tools and establishing targeted early intervention pathways.

The Walk With Me Project was a Health Service Provider (HSP) collaborative between the East Metropolitan, North Metropolitan, South Metropolitan and WA Country Health Service. The Project explored how HSP clinicians can walk with their patients in the spaces of drug and alcohol early intervention, including screening, and withdrawal management.

Through the Walk With Me Project, models of clinical practice, partnerships and pathways in drug and alcohol early intervention and withdrawal management have been developed in consultation with consumer and community representatives, HSP clinicians, and the wider alcohol and other drug sector in WA.

Key project documents and resources

The following clinical practice guidelines have been endorsed by the Methamphetamine Action Plan Committee. The guidelines are key supporting documents of the revised WA Health Alcohol and Other Drug Withdrawal Management Policy (PDF 244KB).

• Alcohol and Other Drugs: Partnerships and Pathways (PDF 864KB) presents a framework of Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) partnerships and pathways that support access to community-based AOD treatment services, providing guidance for service providers to forge effective partnerships that support consumers on their AOD journey.
• Alcohol and Other Drugs Early Intervention Practice: Practice and Pathways (PDF 2.2MB) presents a model of AOD early intervention practice and pathways with guidance and tools that support AOD early intervention.
• AOD Withdrawal Management Practice: Partnerships and Pathways (PDF 2MB)  presents a model of AOD withdrawal management practice and pathways with guidance and tools that support AOD withdrawal management.

Additionally, implementation tools have also been developed to support implementation of the above models and include:

• Service Collaboration Toolkit, including standardised templates for service agreements, MOUs, referral and feedback pathways
  • Service Collaboration Toolkit (PDF 574KB)
• Screening and withdrawal management toolkit, including quick reference guides
  • Screening and withdrawal mangement toolkit (PDF 851KB)
• Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) – Lite resources
  • ASSIST – Lite Clinical Form (PDF 210KB)
  • ASSIST – Lite Feedback Pamphlet (PDF 448KB)
  • ASSIST – Lite poster (PDF 561KB)
  • ASSIST – Lite Clinical Form Toolbox Education (PDF 471KB)
  • ASSIST – Lite Feedback Pamphlet Toolbox Education (PDF 772KB)
  • ASSIST – Lite Take5 Education (PDF 441KB)
• Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) Pamphlet
  • DAST-10 Pamphlet (PDF 293KB)
• Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale Revised Version (CIWA-Ar) resources
  • CIWA-Ar Toolbox Education (PDF 355KB)
  • CIWA-Ar Chart (PDF 203KB)
• Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) resources
  • COWS Toolbox Education (PDF 355KB)
  • COWS Chart (PDF 203KB)
• Stages of Change Pamphlet
  • 9 Stages of Change Pamphlet

More information

Contacts for Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Assessment, Treatment and Support (PDF 112KB) contains contact details for health professionals requiring AOD advice.