12 - 13 NOVEMBER 2025 | ROTORUA

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Programme

Wednesday 12 November


8.50am


Mihi whakatau / Welcome


9.30am

The Dr John Dobson Memorial Lecture - Letters to Young People
Glenn Colquhoun, Poet, Children’s writer

  • In 2020 Glenn Colquhoun published a book of poems written to the young people he works with at the Horowhenua Youth Health Service. In this presentation he will talk about that project — and the power of creativity and the arts in medicine.


10.10am


Morning Tea

The Pam Armstrong Memorial Lecture

Introduced by Professor Peter Adams, Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland and David Ihimaera (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), Pou Rautaki, dapaanz.

Ngā Tikanga Piringa o te Tai Tokerau | Journeying together, a culturally responsive addiction model for te Tai Tokerau.
Nā te korowai o te mana motuhake i rarangatia, mō te oranga tonutanga o te ira tangata. Woven beneath the cloak of self-determination, for the enduring wellbeing of the people.
Jacquii Hessell, Tui Teokotai, Mid North Mental Health and Addictions Service


10.40am


11.10am


International keynote presentation
Building inclusivity by acknowledging community and culture: Alcohol and other drug use in LGBTQ+ communities
Dr Adam Bourne, Professor of Public Health and Director of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University in Melbourne

  • Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people (LGBTQ+) are significantly more likely than their cisgender and/or heterosexual peers to use a variety of illicit substances, although the patterns and contexts of use vary widely across different LGBTQ+ communities. Emerging evidence also points to a heightened risk of problematic use among LGBTQ+ people, with impacts that can negatively affect everyday functioning and relationships. These patterns often intersect with high rates of mental health challenges that are prevalent within LGBTQ+ populations. At the same time, prevailing social norms and community-specific cultures around substance use can make it difficult for individuals to recognise when their use becomes harmful. Unfortunately, many health professionals are not fully equipped to understand these unique contexts, leading to missed opportunities for early and culturally responsive interventions. Importantly, alcohol and other drugs can also hold complex, affirming roles for LGBTQ+ people — contributing to self-expression, community belonging, and identity exploration — and these meanings must be understood when designing effective responses. This keynote will examine these intersecting issues and highlight how clinicians and service providers can better meet the diverse needs of LGBTQ+ people. It will offer concrete strategies for developing and delivering inclusive, safe, and affirming alcohol and other drug services that are responsive to the realities of LGBTQ+ lives.


Evolving a professional self – how the training students receive impact the type of addiction practitioner they become
Dr Sam White, Executive Director, dapaanz


11.40am


International keynote presentation
Tom Coderre, Recovery Advocate / Addiction Policy Expert


12.00pm

  • Tom Coderre is a longtime public servant and recovery advocate, previously serving as a Rhode Island State Senator and in leadership roles at SAMHSA, the government agency in the USA responsible for behavioural healthcare. With more than three decades experience in these roles, Tom led major national initiatives to change discriminatory public policies, expand addiction treatment, recovery support, and mental health services. He will share about his personal journey as well as how recovery has evolved and taken its rightful place in the system of care.


Tribute to Dr Sean Sullivan
Catherine Hellyer, Ali Penfold and Mike Goulding


12.35pm


12.45pm


Lunch


1.40pm


Concurrent sessions A

  • Room: Unison Arena 3

    Mauri is an element, a life force that connects us with our ancestors, atua and the environment. Mauri ora refers to wellbeing that maintains the balance of the internal self with the external world. 

    However, the balance of mauri, along with other elements such as hau, and wairua is dynamic and can shift in response to external stresses and challenges, requiring attunement to this flow and actions focused on returning balance and ora.

    Workshop content

    • Introduce the concept of mauri, states or mauri and their connection to energy, stress responses and trauma.

    • You will have an opportunity to use worksheets that explore mauri, your own shifting states; times of being stuck and how to attune and respond to the shifting nature of mauri; and

    • Discuss the application of mauri to practice and the AO Marama app https://terauora.com/ao-maarama/

    This workshop is part of He tohu te Mauri: A Māori Therapeutic approach to Trauma. The advanced Pae Tata Pae Tawhiti workshop

  • Room: One Foundation (mezzanine level)

    Hooked on sugar: Addiction or not?
    Dr Rimke Bijker, A/Prof Simone Rodda

    Exploring the views of Alcoholics Anonymous among alcohol use disorder practitioners. What influences their perceptions?
    Bonny Mathe Helms, Maria Bellringer, Wendy Wrapson 

    Transplantation and Gambling Risks: Validating a culturally responsive model for Asian migrant gambling harm
    Dr Kelly Feng, Dr Rebecca Gray

    Support for Impacted Family/Whānau Members: Learnings from a decade of practice
    Dr Pauline Stewart

  • Room: Downer/Sigma (mezzanine level)

    DCM: Understanding homelessness in Wellington and our unique approach to harm reduction and recovery
    John Vogenthaler

    “HOUSIE” as social connection therapy tagata matutua: A Pacific health promotion tool that matters
    Efarina Sititi, Taloto Rufo Pupualii

    Hepatitis C and Te Tai Tokerau: An innovative approach to screening and treatment
    Charael Anderson, Dr Geoff Noller

    Te Pā Maru: Reflections and aspirations from Aotearoa’s first managed alcohol programme Empowerment. Transformation. Fullness of life
    Chelsea Allan, Jo Ganc, Jasmine Pearce

  • Kia Hiwa Rā: Facing challenges with purpose – Social value and support for Tāngata Whaiora post-corrections
    Suzette Jackson, Ingrid Purcell

    Beyond detox and cognitive remediation: Enhancing the impact of compulsory treatment
    David Prentice, Hannah Fay, Dhruvi Patel, Dr Sarah Appleton,

    Detoxification service doctor cover in a rural setting
    Rachel Beech

    Continuing care – Insights from four years of working with clients after they graduate from residential rehab and return to the community
    William Blakemore

    Internal family systems for recovery - A return to authentic self
    Araluen Clarke

  • Room: Skellerup/WSP (mezzanine level)

    Working with young people with co-existing problems
    Jo Claridge

    Kia Ora Ake: Sowing the seeds of wellbeing in children to prevent future alcohol and drug challenges
    Candice Thum, Holley Rahipere

    Engaging gamers in therapy – The ‘out of office’ experience
    Scott Turnbull

    The real G – Understanding gambling
    Monica Leatinuu

    What happens when healing doesn’t start in a clinic or classroom but in the taiao where rangatahi learn to be kaitiaki of their own awa?
    Tara Howell, Benjamin Neho

  • Room: Mokoia Room, Millennium Hotel.
    Please note this workshop session is taking place at the Millennium Hotel which is a short 8-minute walk from the Energy Events Centre.

    Facilitator: LaNae Fisk

    This session begins with one or two short presentations including one from dapaanz registered private practitioners Andrea Rowe and Linda Tiro, who offer reflections on how peer supervision might work within private practice.

    During the remainder of the session, LaNae will facilitate small group and whole group discussions on a range of topics relevant to attendees who are considering or currently working in private practice. We will delve into the practicalities of transitioning from being an employee within an organisation to establishing oneself an independent business owner.

    The session will cover essential topics like managing the business side of a private practice, including strategies for keeping overheads low. We'll explore the critical process of choosing a supervisor, business mentor and highlight the importance of developing a supportive community of practice. We will also discuss how to practice in spaces that reduce stigma for your clients and emphasise the importance of maintaining professional boundaries as a reflection of your brand and professional identity. This is a chance to gain clarity and practical advice to help you build a successful and sustainable practice.  


3.10pm


Afternoon tea


3.40pm


Concurrent sessions B

  • Room: Unison Arena 3

    Refer to A1 concurrent session.

  • Room: BayTrust Forum

    Te Whare Aronui; Revitalising traditional practices for maternal services
    Wynell Iraia ,Terukutia Tongaawhikau

    Women, alcohol and menopause: A scoping review
    Ann Johansen

    Motherhood under watch: Surveillance, protection and the stories wāhine tell
    Suzette Jackson

    Understanding addiction and recovery through whānau and mana wāhine perspectives
    Lena Kemp

    Te Ira Oranga:
    A journey of self-discovery in recovery
    Mere Thompson

  • Room: Downer/Sigma (mezzanine level)

    Noho Wānanga: Revitalising tikanga through the tuakana/teina dynamic
    Lusan Turton, Josh Kemp

    Whakarauora: Reviving identity through kaupapa Māori” culture as our compass
    Rhonda Zielinski-Toki

    Born into Chaos – rewriting the narrative
    Lesley Allen, Piriwiritua Kahui

  • Room: WSP (mezzanine level)

    Pacific youth rainbow – Inspiring cultural identity
    Herman Ah Kiong, Annie Kaio

    This session will also include a panel offering insights and discussion on research, advocacy and practice approaches to support rainbow communities here and in Australia.

    Chair: Jenny Wolf

    Panellists:

    Damian Blake, Youth AOD Clinician, LGBT Rainbow Focus, Te Whatu Ora, Waitematā region

    Sandra Dickson, Project Lead, Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura – Outing Violence

    Professor Adam Bourne, Director, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

  • Room: Mokoia Room, Millennium Hotel.
    Please note this workshop session is taking place at the Millennium Hotel which is a short 8-minute walk from the Energy Events Centre.

    Facilitator: LaNae Fisk

    This session offers a dedicated space for you to pause and focus on your own well-being. We'll move beyond superficial acts of self-care to cultivate a deeper, more holistic practice that truly supports your physical, emotional, and mental health. You'll leave with practical strategies and the tools to create a personalised and sustainable self-care routine that you can easily integrate into your daily life. 

  • Room: Skellerup (mezzanine level)

    There is no right or wrong way: Exploring one way to talk with affected others about their responses to problematic gambling/substance misuse in their whānau
    Steve Staunton


5.10pm


Day one concludes


Conference awards dinner (sold out)


7.00pm

Thursday 13 November


Experience Trauma Sensitive Yoga for yourself (sold out)


7.30am - 8.30am

  • Room: Downer/Sigma (mezzanine level)

    Gillian Hotchin, Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator and dapaanz Registered AOD/PG Practitioner

    Trauma Centre, Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is a scientifically validated, evidence based intervention for chronic trauma and PTSD. It uses yoga shapes and movements to invite embodied connection to internal body sensations, known as interoception.

    This 1 hour session will offer an embodied experience of a TCTSY session. This session will be solely dropping in and experiencing this modality for yourself and if you would like to learn more of the theory behind it, please consider coming to the break out session on Thursday afternoon.

    If you choose to join in with this session, we ask that you come with the intention of being open to exploring your own felt sense of your body and possibly taking your work hat off for this space. As we are sharing a space with others, this intention and openness helps to create a safe and co-regulated space for others to do the same.

    A few points to note:

    ·       Everything in TCTSY is always your choice

    ·       You are in charge of your body and know your body best

    ·        Your facilitator will not leave her mat and will be practicing alongside you

    ·        There are no hands on assists

    ·        There is no music or chanting in this practice

    ·        We ask all phones are on silent during the session

    ·        Please bring anything that might support your practice (eg blanket, water, notebook, sensory items)

    ·        Where whatever is comfortable for you to move in

    ·        We will provide yoga mats

    ·        Please arrive by 7:20 for a 7:30am start

    ·        There will be 15mins (8:30-8:45) offered for further embodiment time or to move into the wider conference.


8.50am


Welcome to day two


8.55am

Alcohol harm minimisation: Opportunities for action from research to practice
Panel discussion
Dr Andy Towers, Associate Professor, School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Massey University
Luisa Silailai, Manager, Population Health Priorities, Population Health, Planning, Funding and Outcomes at Te Whatu Ora.
Tom Devine, Group Manager, Mauri Ora, Alcohol Harm Prevention, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora,
Andrew Galloway, Executive Director, Alcohol Healthwatch Whakatūpato Waipiro

DRUA Pasifika keynote
Introduced by Laura Tongalea-Nolan, DRUA Co-Chair

Gather the Fire
Philip Siataga, National Research and Workforce Development Manager, Mapu Maia

9.35am

  • In a world where many feel lost, lonely, and disconnected, how do we create spaces of belonging and purpose in the healing journey.  This presentation invites people to gather around the metaphorical fire—a place of warmth, connection, and shared humanity—to explore a Pacific-Indigenous worldview standpoint that weaves ancestral wisdom with contemporary therapeutic practices. By in-large conventional ‘mainstream’ approaches have not proven effective in engaging with Pasifika peoples. However there is sufficient evidence that identifies what does works well. In a disturbing social landscape of manufactured discontent pitted with polarisation, a rekindling of what is beautiful, inclusive, and wholesome needs to be amplified. This entails cultivating a negotiated space where diversity and minority voices are elevated  not  exploited.  By interweaving ancestral knowledge and contemporary modalities, we foster spaces where people recover and rediscover their sense of belonging and purpose.  We introduce Va-centred therapy – as a Va-Tagaloa Narrative, and a “four harmonies framework” for genuinely holistic practice and workforce development.  It emphasizes social inclusivity, amplifies kindness literacy, promotes a balanced other-centeredness, and optimism.  This approach honours the beauty of a pro socio-cultural identity while addressing layers of disconnectedness that often accompanies people struggling with addiction and mental health.

10.10am

Dapaanz Lifetime Membership Presentation
Presented by Emma Hunter, dapaanz Chair and Polly Websdell, dapaanz Deputy Chair


10.25am


Morning Tea


Concurrent sessions C


10.50am

  • Room: BayTrust Forum

    The history of the addiction recovery movement and mutual aid in the United States

    Please join Tom Coderre in a fireside chat with Suzy Morrison as they discuss important issues the peer recovery movement faces in New Zealand, the United States and around the globe. This session will also offer Q+A with the audience.

  • Room: Skellerup (mezzanine floor)

    A peer support framework for the workforce in gambling harm
    Colin Edwards, Rose Heta-Minhinnick

    From harm to healing: Empowering Tāngata Whaiora and communities against gambling harm
    Sarina Harris, Whakamaramatia Hokianga

    Voices of lived experience: Asian people's journeys from gambling to recovery
    Dr Elsie Ho, Dr KellyFeng

    Whānau and lived experience: Reframing gambling harm from the inside out
    Debbie Savin, Glennis Brown, Darrell Simpson

  • Room: Downer/Sigma (mezzanine floor)

    The Nīkau practice framework: A focused framework for social work practice with substance use
    Dr Anna Nelson

    Guiding ethical and culturally sustained AI integration in Māori suicide prevention
    Dr Alex Barnes, Dr Meiana Gray, Huhana Moselen

    Hoake - Holistic treatment for severe gambling harm
    Amanda Young

    Three Tongan siblings share their experience & innovation using cultural values as mental health professional in NZ & Australia
    Tea Mau-Tukia

  • Room: WSP (mezzanine floor)

    Leadership and Change: The Mapu Maia Perspective
    Tuala Pesio Ah Honi, Phillip Siataga, Ifo Fa’anana

    Va-Tagata model:  Importance of cultural values in dealing with addiction and mental health problems for pacific people and their communities
    Jonathan Pouli-Lefale

    Group work in community - The power of emotional literacy
    Lupe Asi, Dietrich Soakai

  • Room: Unison Arena 3

    Te Whare Taonga: Holding the complex – māmā, intimacy, violence and healing in recovery spaces
    Suzette Jackson, Natasha Cairns, Tarsha Joyce

    Join us to explore how we can better support wāhine as they navigate parenting, substance use, and healing within our services. This presentation shares wāhine stories about the challenges of navigating Te Whare Taonga, a 26-week residential parenting and addiction programme for māmā and pēpi, during its first year of operation. Their stories highlight experiences of surveillance, cultural disconnection, and the inability to discuss or heal from intimate partner violence. The presenters will then share insights on how the programme learned and evolved in response. Workshop attendees will then reflect on ways to adapt their own practice and service delivery.

  • Room: Mokoia Room, Millennium Hotel.
    Please note this workshop session is taking place at the Millennium Hotel which is a short 8-minute walk from the Energy Events Centre.

    Gillian Hotchin, Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator and dapaanz Registered AOD/PG Practitioner

    Trauma Centre, Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is a scientifically validated, evidence based intervention for chronic trauma and PTSD. It uses yoga shapes and movements to invite embodied connection to internal body sensations, known as interoception. Through engaging with TCTSY participants have been seen to gain an increased sense of ownership over their bodies, emotions, thoughts, internal regulation and overall PTSD  symptom criteria.

    This 45 min break out session will introduce you to the theory underpinning TCTSY and the tools used within its modality including a short chair based TCTSY to experience these learnings in practice. It is hoped there might be elements of trauma theory underpinning TCTSY that could be added to your own tool box for your own mahi, including possible shifts in language to support embodiment and self connection.


12.20pm


Lunch

Alcoholics Anonymous will be running a lunch time meeting for those interested to see what happens during the sharing time of an AA meeting.
Room: One Foundation (mezzanine level)


1.20pm


Concurrent sessions D

  • Room: Skellerup/WSP (mezzanine floor)

    Rongoaa Maaori; An indigenous-led, primary model of care
    Te Rukutia Tongaawhikau

    Beyond treatment: Psychedelic rongoā, mana, and the future of addiction healing
    Jor’el McQueen, Dr Tehseen Noorani

    Tū Wairua: Development of a rongoā Māori approach to healing methamphetamine use disorder with psilocybin containing mushrooms. Initial findings from phase 1 clinical trial
    Anna-Leigh Hodge, Dr Pat McHugh

  • Room: One Foundation

    Drawing on Pacific strength and success: How starting with Pacific leadership of and approaches to mental health and addictions practice can support the development of services that are more effective for diverse New Zealand populations
    Dr Ruby Tuesday

    Changes in access to specialist addiction services in Aotearoa from 2019/20 to 2023/24
    Hannah Paap, Sonya Russell

    He Pou Tohutohu: Measuring knowledge transfer and outcomes for prison AOD treatment programmes
    Terry Huriwai, Hitesh Lochan, Fiona Miles

    Investigating social-cultural factors influencing the attitude, behaviour and experience of Asian New Zealanders toward alcohol and drug use
    Dr Wardah Ali, Dr Kelly Feng

    2025 New Zealand Asian well-being & mental health survey
    Dr Kelly Feng, Dr Andrew Zhu, Dr Wardah Ali

  • Ka Rere Te Manu – Kia Mau ki te Kaupapa: Strengthening Peer Role Integrity in Clinical Spaces
    Aroha Crosbie, Brody Runga, Rachel Scaife, Denise Black

    From stigma to strength: Growing the workforce through lived experience
    Edith Moore, Zoë Collins

    Nōku Te Mana - taking back control over my life
    Shane Kennard

    Peer Whanaungatanga in an opioid recovery clinical setting
    Marc Beecroft, Jasmin Cole, Vinod Kozhissery, Annemarie Turner, Toni Lilley

  • Room: Downer/Sigma Room (mezzanine level)

    The power of whānau: Navigating hauora together
    Lucas Netana-Rakete, Billie Jean Bonnar, Chris Mane, Demi McAllister

    He waka taiora: A kaupapa Māori model of pre- and post-treatment housing and whānau support
    Bessina Pehi, Steward Eiao

    Hīkoia Te Whetū, Hīkoia Te Marama (Kaupapa Māori)
    Riana Potaka, Nella Peita, Leo Kenny

  • Room: BayTrust Forum

    Enhancing support and prevention for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in New Zealand
    Ross Bell, Dr Nari Faers

    Let’s talk sex: Sex and drugs e-learning modules for healthcare practitioners
    Shaun Hill

    Whakaohooho manawa ora: Cognitive screening and support in alcohol and other drug services. Aotearoa New Zealand practice guidelines
    Jason Jones

    Innovative and peer-led workbooks to guide your practice
    Phil Glaser

    Manaaki in practice: Adapting and embedding harm reduction in client care settings
    Spencer Dietrich


Grab and Go Afternoon tea


2.35pm


2.50pm


Te Ariari o te Oranga Update 2025
Dr Fraser Todd and Claire Aitken


3.30pm


Conference concludes