From 1 January 2023, dapaanz will offer renewal of registration to all existing fully registered practitioners, whether they are currently practicing or not. This will allow non-practicing practitioners to remain registered, irrespective of where their career takes them.
Practitioners who are actively engaging in addiction practice with tāngata whai ora will also need an Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) and to fulfil current annual practice, supervision and CPD requirements.
Dapaanz is here to support an ethical and competent addiction workforce in Aotearoa. We are also seeking ways to retain and build this workforce in ways that support career growth and diverse work experiences.
We understand that career pathways may provide opportunities outside of addiction practice and we want to support people to retain registered practitioner status throughout their careers, similar to other health professions. We know that registration as a dapaanz practitioner indicates a certain level of knowledge, skills and competency that is a career-long achievement.
Prior to 1 January 2023, practitioners could only be dapaanz registered, if they were working in addiction clinical practice and fulfilled the minimum required contact hours with clients, as well as continuing professional development.
Practice and CPD hours needed to be maintained each year to retain registration. A leave of absence was (and still is) available for a limited period of non-practice (1-2 years).
Once registration was lost, individuals needed to re-apply (and meet current requirements) as a provisional practitioner, before returning to full registration.
This policy has caused some attrition from the addiction workforce and made it difficult to regain registration for those who do not meet current qualification or registration requirements. The introduction of ongoing registration with annual practicing certificates (APCs) seeks to address this.
From 1 January 2023, fully registered practitioners* will have two options for renewal – they can choose to renew their registration only (if they are not currently practicing), OR they can renew their registration with an APC.
The APC ensures that a practitioner’s knowledge, skills and competency are current.
Fully registered practitioners (non-APC) will remain on the dapaanz register and will be noted as not practicing. Should non-APC practitioners wish to return to addiction practice, they will need to undergo a return to practice process to regain an APC, which may include specific training or intense supervision, depending on the length of absence.
The fee for non-APC registration renewal is $100 (incl. GST) per year.
More details will be shared in the new year. In the meantime, all enquiries about APCs and return to practice should be directed to the Registrar.
*This opportunity only applies to practitioners fully registered on or after 1 January 2023.