Registrations are now open for the 15th Cutting Edge conference, 23-25 September at the Rendezvous Hotel in Auckland. Register on-line at www.cuttingedge2010.org.nz The programme is now complete with keynote presentations by Ross Bell, Professor Richard Velleman, Dr Mark Wallace-Bell, Ian and Lynette Hutson, Professor Robert Williams, Dr Grant Christie, Tame Iti, Dr Fraser Todd, Dr Paul Quigley, Trish Gledhill and Bruce Levi. There will be consumer, Maori, research, gambling and treatment initiatives presentations. On the 25th, Professor Velleman will be holding a skills-based workshop. Fees are being held at the 2009 rate. More information is available on-line. On the day before the conference, there will be pre-conference meetings for Maori, Pacific and consumers. Dapaanz will host a “think-tank” half-day for government officials to discuss directions in reducing drug-related harm with keynote speakers and sector leaders.

The office will be closed from Tuesday June 8 until Tuesday June 29. Emails will be cleared as conditions permit.

With the experience of the first year of the CEP points system for renewal of registration or endorsement, the Executive has streamlined the process to make it more manageable for everybody. Practitioners will no longer need to get approval of courses in advance and types of events will be grouped together so that it will be more easily seen how many points can be awarded. The new groupings will go up on the website in June.

The cabinet has issued a directive that applications from professional associations for registration under the Health Practitioners’ Competency Assurance Act must meet a new set of criteria which states that statutory regulation should be reserved for professions which pose the greatest risk to the public. It also expressed concern at the financial burden placed on health services and practitioners to fund registration boards set up under the Act. Given this directive and alongside a clear message from the Ministry that dapaanz already has an effective voluntary regulatory process in place, widely supported by statutory agencies; the Executive will not develop an application for the registration of dapaanz under the act. The Association, with support from the Ministry, will continue to advocate for its members with those employers who discriminate unfairly against non-HPCA registered practitioners. This advocacy is pursued mainly through the Association of Allied Health Practitioners.

The review of the AOD competencies, the development of the problem gambling competencies and of the new proposed framework that includes AOD, gambling and smoking cessation competencies. There was a recent meeting to discuss proposed changes with key stakeholders from national sector bodies and educators. The project is led for dapaanz by Paula Parsonage and for the Ministry by Abacus who are together working on a final draft to go out to the sector in June and July.

The Executive is elected annually from the membership by postal ballot. Its term runs from the 2010 AGM to the 2011 AGM. Any member may stand. The Executive normally meets four times a year for a whole day and usually in Wellington. There is some email discussion between meetings, probably taking another three to four hours over most months. Applicants must have the support of their employer. While most executive members are financially supported to attend by their employers, dapaanz will meet travel costs in those cases where employer financial support is not available. Nomination forms are included with this Bulletin. Members may nominate themselves; their seconder must also be a member. Nominations must be returned to the office by 31 July. The successful applicants will be approved by the AGM at the Cutting Edge conference on 23 September.

Dr Steve Martino is confirmed as a tutor on MI and Supervision. Discussions are being held with further tutors. Dates are still to be confirmed but looking like the last week of February or first week of March. The school runs for two and a half days, Thursday to Saturday morning. The venue will be in Parnell, Auckland. Registrations will open later in the year.

We are often asked which registered practitioners can be approached to undertake private or independent work. The current list makes no distinction between those who can and those who can’t which leads to frustration on the part of the seekers. The Executive decided it would allow independent practitioners to signal, on the website, their availability for private or independent work. Those wishing to avail themselves of this service should contact the office.

Through-out the country, Maori, Pacific, Pakeha, there are some older people who have worked for many years supporting addiction treatment work. Dapaanz is keen to recognise their contribution. Nominations are now being received. Details in the March Bulletin (vol 7, No 1).

Problem gambling practitioners who are members of dapaanz can now register as problem gambling practitioners

The Executive will bring to the AGM for ratification, two proposed changes to the criteria for applications. Firstly, for standard membership, applicants will have to complete a disclosure of past convictions. Currently, anybody with an interest in addiction treatment can join dapaanz. This is a uniquely open process for professional associations and because some addiction practitioners practise with no more than a standard membership level, a tightening up is desired. Secondly, a degree in psychology will no longer be considered an educational pathway into registration. Unlike the other degrees listed, psychology has no requirement of skills-based learning. Applicants would need a registration in psychology to be considered. If ratified, these changes would affect new applicants from the 2010 AGM onwards.

The Quit Group (smoking cessation) has had a number of enquiries from dapaanz practitioners about completing the Ministry Of Health ABC e-tool learning and so being able to register as Quit Card providers. To become registered as part of the e-tool you need to be a registered clinician under the HPCA act. The Ministry has decided that dapaanz registered practitioners may apply for QCP registration. You will need to complete the e-tool training and the assessment. You can then be registered as a QC provider. For further information, access Quit Group on its website. Practitioners who complete smoking cessation courses, either on-line or by attending the workshops can earn 30 CEP points.

The Executive will propose to the AGM that the name of the Association be changed from the Drug and Alcohol Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa-New Zealand to the Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa-New Zealand. The name change is to acknowledge: • 40 members of the Association who work primarily in problem gambling • The new problem-gambling practitioner registration • To make membership more attractive to those in problem gambling treatment who see dapaanz as an association only for AOD practitioners • The likely new addiction competencies framework that will cover AOD, gambling and smoking cessation • The co-occurring issues of many of our clients: AOD, gambling, smoking • The interest of the smoking cessation sector to join dapaanz. It is not proposed to change the dapaanz logo. That reflects both the origins of the Association and its wide recognition through the addiction, allied health and government sectors. So the proposed new title would be: dapaanz, the Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa-New Zealand.