Objects in mirror...

Has it really been 10 years!? This a great time to reflect on where we have been and where we are going in the field of Addictions. A decade ago we were the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission; fast forward to 2018 and we are part of Alberta Health Services (AHS) integrated health system. The recovery-oriented model that was always present in our work is being embraced by the health care system as a whole, and with the recent launch of the Patient First Strategy…… there is an even larger focus on including clients as active participants on their care. The new Harm Reduction Policy that comes into effect February 2019 strengthens our commitment to client and family centered care and aligns with AHS values of compassion, accountability, respect, excellence, and safety.

The Addiction Counselling Initiative (2014-2018) contributed foundational resources and documents that promote practice excellence:

The Provincial Addiction Practice Council (PAPC) was formed to provide provincial leadership and collaboration that supports communication, best practice, professional development and concurrent capable approaches that advance practice excellence as it relates to addiction prevention, health promotion, and treatment.

The Practice Standards for Addiction Counsellors were developed and outline standards that addiction counsellors are expected to meet to ensure quality and safe patient –centered addictions services across AHS. They describe AHS’ professional expectations, practice, supervision, and provision of Restricted Activity in relation to addictions counselling.

The Addiction Counsellor III and IV provincial job descriptions were launched to provide consistency in qualification for addiction counsellors throughout the organization.

Technical Competencies and Role Clarity documents were developed to promote and enhance the skills and knowledge needed to highlight addictions as a specialized field.

The Provincial Addiction Consultations Service has been implemented to support staff and managers with practice related questions and can be accessed by e-mailing practice.consultation@ahs.ca.

When AHS was formed, our motto became “We are One” and the goals has been to goal is to ensure clients and their families receive the most appropriate care in a timely manner. Using a collaborative approach to integrated and person-centre care places addiction counsellors as important contributors within multidisciplinary teams and across the continuum of care, from promotion and prevention to treatment.