From our past use of fines, imprisonment, and prohibition to force change, to an approach of treating addiction as a health issue, this timeline (developed in 2019 for dapaanz's Cutting Edge conference in Auckland) tracks some of the events and legislation that have changed how Aotearoa New Zealand supports people living with addiction challenges. [...]
During March and April 2022, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission sought feedback on He Ara Āwhina (Pathways to Support), a framework that describes what an ideal mental health and addiction system looks like. He Ara Āwhina sets out how the Commission will monitor and advocate for improvements to the mental health and addiction system, and services. The framework [...]
According to the University of Otago, researchers have found that New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out is failing to reach those with mental health and addiction issues. By 14 February this year, only 80% of people receiving mental health treatment and 78% of those receiving AOD treatment had received two vaccinations, compared to 95% of the eligible population. Read more… [...]
Aotearoa New Zealand’s public health system has been found to be fragmented, inequitable and inconsistent. The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill lays the foundation for the transformation of our health system to address these issues. In December 2021, dapaanz made a submission in support of the Bill. Our submission recommended several amendments around strengthening the guarantee of independence of the [...]
Workforce development centre Te Pou has developed a Covid-19 portal for the AOD workforce. The portal is a collection of resources designed to support the AOD workforce as we operate in an increasingly complex, COVID-19 world. Resources available include: Providing support by phone or video call A trauma-informed approach in challenging times Working well from home Supervision by phone [...]
