Every day, thousands of New Zealanders’ lives are impacted by addiction. And every day, addiction practitioners work with whānau and communities living with addiction challenges to help make recovery possible.
Dapaanz is the membership association representing the professional interests of the addiction workforce in Aotearoa.
Set up in 2002 by addiction practitioners, who were passionate about professionalising addiction practice, dapaanz implemented and maintains the standards of practice for people working in addictions in Aotearoa New Zealand. We are also kaitiaki of Tikanga Matatika – the Code of Ethics for addiction practice.
In June 2016, the dapaanz board agreed to strengthen dapaanz’s response and approach to Tiriti o Waitangi. This was done not just in acknowledgment of the mana status of Māori, and commitment to increase Māori participation in leadership; but additionally, in acknowledgment of Māori as a key partner in the vision for the advancement of dapaanz and the addiction sector. Our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi (as set out in Te Kowhao – our Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy) and to Māori wellbeing, underpins our work.
Our acronym, dapaanz, reflects our first name – the Drug and Alcohol Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa–New Zealand. In 2010, we broadened our membership to include problem gambling practitioners and smoking cessation practitioners and our legal name became the Addiction Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa New Zealand.
Dapaanz is governed by a board, elected by members, who typically serve for two years.
We are an incorporated society and a registered charity (Charities Commission: CC39990), affiliated to the Allied Mental Health and Addiction Group and a member of the NZ Drug Foundation.
