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 The internships include Paid employment in an intern addiction practitioner role (at minimum, the living wage, based on [...]
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 Plenty Mental Health & Addiction Services. Jenny is a founding member of the 2SLGBTQ+ Leadership Collaborative, in partnership with the [...]
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 organisation's Pou Whakarae on the dapaanz Board since 20xx. In November 2025, he was awarded dapaanz lifetime membership in recognition [...]
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 membership of dapaanz in recognition of her leadership and service to dapaanz, the wider addiction workforce and Pasifika communities across [...]
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is funding a new, dapaanz coordinated internship pathway to help grow a sustainable addiction workforce. The Intern Addiction Practitioner programme will support better access to training for priority populations — applications* are encouraged from new entrants to the addiction workforce, peer or support workers seeking to transition to practitioner roles, and kaimahi within [...]
Suzy Morrison is a dapaanz registered practitioner, accredited clinical and accredited peer supervisor. A member since 2014 and Board member 2017-2022, Suzy was made a dapaanz lifetime member in November 2025 in recognition of her service to the sector. Earlier this year, we asked Suzy to reflect on changes and learning across the course of her career. We share her [...]
At the end of February 2026, the number of dapaanz members identifying as Māori reached 608, or a smidge under 30% of total membership (2068 members). This milestone, and what it means for health services, communities and the addiction workforce across Aotearoa, means a great deal to us. Our Māori membership has steadily increased over the last decade. In [...]
On 17 December 2025, dapaanz finalised the details on a new member category to support new graduates into our workforce: Provisional Practitioner (Graduate). This new category aligns with other allied health professions and is designed to support graduates with dapaanz recognised, applied qualifications during the period where they are seeking employment in a clinical role on their pathway to full [...]
Recent annual reports and AGM minutes can be downloaded below. 2025 Annual Report Dapaanz 2025 Certified Financial Statement, Performance Report and Statement of Service Performance 2025 Annual General Meeting 23rd Annual General Meeting, 17 December 2025: Minutes 2024 Annual Report Dapaanz 2024 Certified Financial Statement, Performance Report and Statement of Service Performance [...]
In March 2025, dapaanz launched two new member categories: Accredited Addiction Peer Support Worker (AAPSW) and Accredited Peer Supervisor (APS). These new member categories follow several years of consultation and research with dapaanz members, the Aotearoa Addiction Consumer, Peer Support and Lived Experience (CPSLE) workforce, as well as relevant sector agencies, organisations and educators. [...]
