Supporting safe, home-based withdrawal

Clinical Nurse Specialist Jupp Groenveld explains the DAWN program which helps vulnerable people overcome their addictions.


St John of God Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network (DAWN) is operated by St John of God Health Care and fully funded by the WA Mental Health Commission.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Jupp Groenveld

Our team of clinical nurse specialists help people to stop or reduce their substance use by providing planned care and support at home. Our services are provided free of charge.

The most common substance our clients are struggling with is alcohol, followed by methamphetamines, but we deal with a broad range of illicit, prescription and over-the-counter medication dependencies.

We work across the Perth metropolitan area with clients of all ages and from all walks of life. The one thing they usually have in common is a history of trauma.

Almost without exception, substance use is a symptom of something more that a person is dealing with. Connecting clients to counselling and other support services is an important part of our role and helps position them for long-term success.

We accept self-referrals as well as GP referrals and ensuring a person’s GP is happy to support a home-based withdrawal is always the first step in the process.

From there, we keep the GP informed each step of the way, from a detailed initial assessment and shared-care plan before the withdrawal process starts, through to a discharge summary when the withdrawal process has concluded.

DAWN has prescribing guidelines for GPs, along with a range of resources, and our triage nurses are available during business hours to provide advice and support.

To be a suitable candidate for a successful, safe, home-based withdrawal, people need to be low on the complexity spectrum. We cannot offer a home-based withdrawal if a person has a seizure history or is pregnant, and if a person is using multiple substances it may not be safe to withdraw at home.

It is crucial that our clients have stable accommodation and a support person available for the duration of their withdrawal. The role of the support person is vital. Our clients don’t just have to get through physical withdrawal symptoms, they also have to deal with the grief that comes from ceasing or reducing their use of the substance that has become integral to their ability to get through each day.

It’s a neuroplasticity process and they need someone who knows them well to help them through the significant emotional challenges they may face.

During the withdrawal, we visit clients for between 45 minutes to an hour daily (Monday to Friday) and are always available by phone during business hours. Support resources are also provided to clients if they experience any issues after hours. Providing a flexible, individualised approach is crucial.

We also place a big emphasis on supporting clients’ families and support people and will often refer them for counselling. When clients have children at home, we advise them of the range of services available for families, and we are happy to facilitate referrals to services for children living with parents with dependencies.

By doing a home-based withdrawal, our clients learn to manage their substance-use triggers from the start. Generally, it also means they’re staying in the place where they feel most comfortable and don’t have to be separated from their family, which is significant, particularly for people with young children. 

Tackling a substance dependency is not easy, and people with problematic alcohol and substance-use are very often marginalised. They may be struggling with a lot of shame over their dependency on top of the trauma, hardship, neglect and abuse that may have led to their substance use.

It takes a lot of courage for our clients to reach out for help, so it is crucial that we treat them with the respect, kindness and compassion they deserve.