Background
Vision
Values
Mandate
- Ensure members are aware of the history of NNADAP, its strengths, challenges, and processes.
- Review regional needs assessments and provide feedback to facilitate quality analyses.
- Develop recommendations that build on promising practices in First Nations and other indigenous and mainstream addictions intervention and prevention systems, with the long-term goal of preventing and reducing addictions.
- Document high-level recommendations by Fall 2010.
- Ensure the renewed NNADAP aligns with the principles of the Mental Wellness Advisory Committee Strategic Action Plan (draft) (PDF).
The First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel is a time-limited body, whose mandate is scheduled to be complete by Fall 2010.
Partners
Partners of this process are:
- The Assembly of First Nations
- The National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation
- First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada
Partners are responsible to represent their region/stakeholders and maintain regular communication with their Addictions Regional Committees, AFN’s regional health technicians, and where there is such a position, AFN’s regional mental wellness policy analyst.
Membership
The First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel is comprised of:
- Members of the AFN’s Public Health Committee
- Seven representatives from the addictions research or service delivery community
- A First Nations Elder will be present to oversee all meetings and to provide wisdom, insight and spiritual guidance.
Roles and Responsibilities
Chairs:
The First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel will be led in partnership by:
- Carol Hopkins, National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation, Executive Director
- Winona Polson-Lahache, Assembly of First Nations, Health and Social Secretariat
Members will provide advice based on their experience and expertise. Members are asked to maintain continuity in representation to the greatest extent possible, and are also asked to make every effort to attend scheduled meetings. Members that miss more than two meetings in a row will be replaced by an appropriate representative from the addictions community.
Operations:
1. Secretariat
Secretariat support will be provided (shared) by FNIHB, the AFN and NNAPF. It will include: coordination of meetings, compilation of background materials, drafting of agendas, drafting of meeting summaries, and follow up on action items. Committee members are responsible for providing the Secretariat with background materials in support of specific agenda items on a timely basis in advance of the meeting. FNIHB is responsible for briefing the Mental Wellness Advisory Committee.
2. Meetings
The frequency of meetings will be determined by the Panel. If possible, draft agendas and background documents will be circulated electronically to members three (3) weeks in advance of meetings. Excluding Government of Canada employees, FNIHB is responsible for members’ costs related to travel/accommodation for the First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel meetings, following current Treasury Board Travel Directive (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/tbm_113/menu-travel-voyage_e.asp) (URL).
Meeting summaries will be circulated by NNAPF, FNIHB and AFN through their relevant networks.
3. Decision Making
The First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel will endeavour to develop recommendations by consensus after reviewing and discussing information presented at the meetings or by other means of communication. In a situation of an unresolved conflict, the leaders/chairs commit to finding resolution that meets the interests of First Nations communities.