On February 10th - 13th the ISSUP team visited Washington, D.C. for a series of project planning meetings and ISSUP’s Board meeting.
The aim of the visit was to meet key stakeholders and to bring collaborating organisations together to present latest developments and discuss progress in our respective projects. With multiple projects actively harnessing the power of digital and online tools platforms for treatment, networking and accreditation, this was a very important moment for us to connect with each other’s work and explore new ways to align and collaborate for the benefit of our members.
On Tuesday 11th February the conferencing facilities at the Organization of American States (OAS) Washington headquarters provided the perfect venue for discussion, dialogue and presentations of website development work and digital infrastructure being created by ISSUP and our collaborating partners.
Alongside ISSUP, the meeting brought together colleagues from the Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification (GCCC), the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC), the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR), the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organization of American States (CICAD/OAS).
The session showcased a new website and credentialing process being developed by GCCC that looks set to provide many new opportunities to link-up professionals with ICUDDR faculty, the ISSUP global network and the fantastic range of e-learning courses available through ATTC's platform HealtheKnowledge. UTC Certification standards and credentialing pathways were also discussed at length with a focus on helping practitioners to apply for qualifications and identify gaps in their professional development journey.
The meeting was a welcome opportunity for ISSUP to gather feedback and ideas from specialists working on their own projects that also involve close collaboration with substance use treatment and recovery professionals, partner organisations, associations and research institutes both within the US and internationally. The level of technical knowledge and spirit of innovation across the group was truly inspirational.
On Thursday 13th February the ISSUP team presented its work and progress in the areas of the digital communications, National Chapters and ISSUP events to its Board and stakeholders. The Board meeting was a welcome opportunity to discuss strategy and how to strengthen the work of ISSUP working internationally to improve access to professional development opportunities and build the drug demand reduction workforce.
It was a busy week and the ISSUP team have come away with many new ideas to enhance our work over the coming months, including ideas to be creatively implemented inside ISSUP and others that present new opportunities for collaboration and communication with partners. Our thanks to everyone involved in making the trip a success!