DRUA
Pacific Addictions
Workforce
DRUA
What is DRUA?
The name Drua is Fijian for a very large double hulled sailing vessel. These
Drua vessels measured up to 118 feet & travelled at great speeds through the
pacific ocean & had the ability to transport cattle, stock for commerce or
huge numbers of warriors around the pacific for war.
•
The DRUA was acknowledged as the finest sailing vessel ever built in
Oceana, a superior design the was a result of a PACIFIC CROSS CULTURAL
COLLABORATION
•
DRUA – the Body of Pacific Addictions Workforce clinicians,
practitioners, support workers & consumer. Working in collaboration to
transporting answers, opportunities, strategies and solutions in Alcohol &
other Drugs to the Addiction sector & our pacific communities.
•
Today I would like to re-introduce or make visible DRUA to our Sector, so
when I finish you would know the heart & aspirations of the Pacific
Addiction Workforce.
DRUA
• History
◦ National Pacific Treatment Forum (NPTF)
2004
◦ Pacific Voice of Pacific AOD Sector – DAPAANZ,
Matua Raki, Te Pou, Te Rau Matatini
◦ DRUA - Le Va
◦ Function
• DRUA began its development as the National Pacific Treatment Forum
(NPTF). Established in 2004
• NPTF began as the conduit for sharing Pacific perspectives in the
addictions field. as the PACIFIC ARM of NCAT.
• This forum provided a voice for Pacific issues to be discussed and a
consensus reached as to a Pacific Stance on (AOD) issues.
• Over time as other opportunities for a Pacific voice in the AOD sector
were required in the dynamic context of emerging agencies such as
DAPAANZ Matua Raki, Te Rau Matatini and Te Pou, DRUA’s role as an
independent body became even more essential and relevant.
• The name DRUA was gifted to the NPTF in 2009 from Le Va with a view for
the forum to continue the development of the addiction workforce,
addressing addiction and co-existing problems.
• DRUA’s functions remain focused on utilising the knowledge and skills
available to inform addictions workforce developments and provide
relevant Pacific perspectives to the AOD sector
DRUA
• Philosophy
“E Fofo e le Alamea le Alamea”
……..
“The solutions to our Pacific issues lie within
our Pacific Communities”
• One of the Samoan proverbs: “E fofo e le alamea le alamea” :- meaning,
in the corals of Samoa, when you are wading through and you have the
misfortune you stand on the alamea (a poisonous sea urchin) you quickly
turn the alamea upside down, put your foot on it & the alamea, itself, will
absorb the poison from your foot.
• DRUA members believe that the ultimate solutions to Pacific people’s AOD
issues will come from Pacific people owning and driving the implementation
of those solutions for their own people.
• This means they are committed to reducing alcohol and other drug-related
harm amongst Pacific communities.
DRUA
Key Objectives
• Provide Pacific Leadership in the development of the mental
health and addictions (co-existing problems) sector
• Provide a Conduit of Perspectives and Activities in the wider
Addiction sector
• Identifying Key Pacific Addiction related issues
• Identify Key Pacific Partners and Stakeholders within and across
sectors
• Ensure Pacific Communities have access to evidence based best
practice Services
• Ensure Pacific Communities have access to culturally appropriate
Resources
• Provide Support for Pacific Communities to develop cultural
solutions for AOD harm reduction
• Support the Pacific AOD Workforce & Communities to develop
confidence to speak on matters important to them
DRUA
Visibility
•
2013 Matua Raki Appointment of Pacific Addiction Workforce Lead
◦ Based at Le Va in Auckland
•
2013 DRUA Pre-conference Fono Cutting Edge
◦ Re-Invigorated DRUA
◦ Re-established the Pacific Addiction Sector Connection
•
2014 GPS2.0 – Growing Pacific Solutions Conference - Addiction Stream
◦ Pacific Addiction Sector presented abstracts
◦ DRUA Fono
◦ DRUA members Graduation from Le Tautua Leadership Programme
◦ DRUA members receive Scholarships
DRUA
2014 Le Va – Pacific Workforce centre.
Partnership
Support – resourcing, etc
Matua Raki, ALAC – (HPA), DAPANNZ, stakeholder
Executive Committee
Chair, Secretariat,
Vision
Vibrant Workforce and well Pacific
Families
Simply put – it means:
• Embedding of pacific perspectives of health and wellbeing – Cultural
responsiveness for mainstream working with Pacific staff or pacific
families, supporting Pacific staff in a non-pacific service
• Valuing families and communities – Finding ways for better
Engagement, with family & fanau. Cultural intervention
• Implement evidence-based, sustainable multi-level workforce
initiatives – resourcing, building the capability of the Pacific
workforce.
• Working together – collaboration across services, Tangata Whenua,
mainstream and inter-sectorily
• Human Rights
DRUA
“Ta ki liku, ta ki fanga.”
“Ta ki liku, ta ki fanga.”
Adept on weather beaten coast or on sheltered
bay.
Pacific peoples are well known for our resilience and resourcefulness.
We are well acquainted with the need to adapt to changing
environments in order to survive. This innate ability is nicely
summarised in the Tongan proverb: “ta ki liku, ta ki fanga .”
This proverb refers to one who is adept in more than one (or many)
settings.
It opens up new horizons and inspires a new hope for the challenges
ahead of us.
“We know there are huge demands on the sector. We know there is
significant unmet need among our communities. We should celebrate
what we are doing well and rest when we can but we should still be
prepared to lose some sleep over our Pasifika peoples unmet needs –
many of them intimately connected with impoverishment.”
DRUA
Saveatama Eroni Clarke
Matua Raki – Le Va
eroni.clarke@matuaraki.org.nz
027 839 0127
Harakeke House, 15 Ronwood Ave
PO BOX 76536, Manukau 2241
Fa’afetai Lava, Soifua.