Home Based Withdrawal (HBW) is where a young person gets linked up with a drug and alcohol outreach worker who is also a registered nurse
Health issues can be difficult to deal with at any time of life but ongoing health problems (physical or emotional) can hit young people hard. Drugs that reduce pain, anxiety or worry can be particularly appealing to young people with health concerns. On the other hand, substance use can often make health issues worse.
Home Based Withdrawal (HBW) is where a young person gets linked up with a drug and alcohol outreach worker who is also a registered nurse. They meet up 1:1 to discuss substance use and also get practical support with health issues.
This can be a great option for young people who experience chronic illness, complex medication regimes, are on pharmacotherapy, experience medical complications from injecting or have neglected health (such as dental problems) that they would like to address. Home based withdrawal nurses also work with young women who are pregnant and using substances.
Young people who wish to reduce their substance use and have a safe, stable, drug free home environment to attempt this in can also benefit from visits from home based withdrawal nurses.
It is important to note that there are some instances where it is risky to rapidly reduce substance use in the community and residential detox (link to residential detox) is recommended. Home based withdrawal nurses work closely with residential withdrawal units to make this possible.
