Our Mission and Purpose
We foster excellence in addiction practice.
We ensure Aotearoa’s addiction workforce is ethical, competent and culturally-responsive so that whānau affected by addiction can flourish.
REFLECTIONS ON OUR BRAND
The story behind the dapaanz brand icon.
The inspiration for the dapaanz brand icon is the tukutuku pattern ‘waharua’ that shows vertically paired diamond shapes. The pattern represents commitment and courage.
It also suggests a point where people or events cross, and serves as a reminder that change can occur at these meeting points.
In developing our brand identity, we were inspired by these notions. We wanted to honour these decisive moments, when our members support whānau and communities in Aotearoa, whose lives are impacted by addiction.
To tātou uara | Our Values
Featured Events
Latest News
Covering topics important to our members and the profession.
Earn-as-you-learn addiction practice internships: Applications closed
The first round of applications for the Earn-as-you-learn internship programme has now closed. Locations Internships for the first round were available in: Northland - Kaitaia and Kaikohe Tairāwhiti, Rotorua, Southern Waikato Hawke’s Bay Invercargill [...]
Ka mua, ka muri: A conversation with Jenny Wolf
Jenny Wolf began her career as a mental health social worker. She has since worked in a variety of roles, including Regional Manager CADS Auckland, Senior Advisor Addiction Treatment at the Ministry of Health, and General Manager Bay of [...]
Ka mua, ka muri: A conversation with Takurua Tawera
Takurua Tawera (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa and Tūhourangi) has worked in the addiction sector for 38 years. A dapaanz member since its establishment in 2002, Takurua is a dapaanz registered practitioner and accredited clincial supervisor. He has been the [...]
Ka mua, ka muri: A conversation with Helen Schmidt-Sopoaga
Helen Schmidt-Sopoaga has been a dapaanz registered practitioner since 2004 and a member of dapaanz since 2002. She is an accredited clinical supervisor and serves on multiple national committees and advisory groups. In November 2025, she was awarded lifetime [...]