The Canadian Network of Substance Abuse and Allied Professionals is the first national website developed specifically for Canada’s substance abuse workforce. This resource aims to facilitate the adoption of evidence-informed practice across the continuum of care and to encourage and support ongoing learning with particular emphasis on emerging trends, quality assurance and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Whether you are a counsellor in a treatment centre, the manager of an integrated mental health and addictions service, a primary care physician, public health nurse or correctional officer, the Canadian Network has information and resources designed to support you in your efforts to help those whose lives are affected by substance abuse.
The Canadian Network also serves as a virtual gathering place where substance abuse specialists and allied professionals can come together and learn about upcoming events; education and career opportunities; national, provincial and territorial initiatives; and relevant news clippings from across Canada and around the world.
This online resource has been developed by the Workforce Development Division of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), Canada’s national addictions centre, in consultation with the National Advisory Group on Workforce Development (NAGWD). It was created in response to a key recommendation made in “Optimizing Canada’s Addiction Treatment Workforce: Results of a National Survey of Service Providers” and is also aligned with one of 13 priority areas of the National Framework for Action to Reduce the Harms Associated with Alcohol and Other Drugs and Substances in Canada, namely ”Developing the Workforce”.
In addition to the above-named partnerships and collaborations, CCSA is also pleased to be working with the Association des intervenants en toxicomanie du Québec (AITQ) in populating this website with quality French-language resources.
Quality Assurance Statement
The Canadian Network of Substance Abuse and Allied Professionals website is designed to present objective, evidence-informed, and accessible information on matters of interest to the substance abuse workforce in Canada. Providing access to accurate and trustworthy information is central to the goal of responding to the needs of professionals working in the field. Therefore, to assist substance abuse and allied professionals in managing the search for quality information, the Canadian Network includes information from well-known organizations and recognized professionals working in the alcohol and drug field and related health sectors. This includes government departments and agencies, non-profit organizations, and universities and colleges.
With increased access through the Internet to what can appear to be a wealth of information, it is important to have a method of distinguishing between quality information and information that is less than reliable. To this end, the Canadian Network has developed and applied a clear set of rating criteria to ensure the accuracy of all information included on or referenced by the site. These criteria concern issues such as credibility, content relevance and appropriateness, and timeliness. As well, a review committee has been established to rate prospective resources in accordance with the aforementioned quality assurance standards.