PRESS RELEASE - A sub-regional training event, on implementing a Standardized Data Collection System for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facilities in the Caribbean will take place in Saint Lucia on Tuesday May 19- Wednesday May 20, 2015.
The goal of the seminar is to have all OAS Caribbean member states trained to fully utilize a standardized data collection questionnaire in all drug and alcohol treatment facilities in 2015.
This seminar brings together personnel working in the field of drug treatment from across the Caribbean region and seeks to build their capacity in data collection by utilizing a standardized treatment center intake form.
Participants will also be discussing regional drug and alcohol treatment modalities. Data will be presented from previous years and implications for policy will be discussed.
Participating Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago
By the end of this seminar, participants will be trained on how to utilize the CICAD standardized Treatment Center Intake form.
They will have data on treatment for problem drug use around the region and they will also be trained on how to utilize this evidence to guide policy discussions about treatment standards for problem drug users.
This event is being organized by the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) in conjunction with the Government of St. Lucia through the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS).
The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) is the Organization of American States (OAS) agency that serves as the Western Hemisphere’s policy forum on all aspects of the drug problem; their goal is to foster multilateral cooperation on drug issues in the Americas, to execute action programs to strengthen the capacity of CICAD member states to prevent and treat licit and illicit drug abuse, to combat production of illicit drugs, and deny the traffickers their illegal profits.
CICAD promotes drug-related research, information exchange, specialized training, and technical assistance. CICAD also develops and recommends minimum standards for drug-related legislation, treatment, and the measurement of both drug consumption and the cost of drugs to society, and drug-control measures, among others.
The Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) is the department in CICAD that assists member states to improve their capacity to collect and analyze drug statistics by supporting member states in the implementation of drug surveys and other studies and promoting the development and establishment of national drug observatories and the use of standardized data and methodologies.
The Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS) is responsible for fostering a drug free St. Lucia. As part of its mandate, the Secretariat develops policies and implements programmes tailored to converge with the needs of individuals, communities and the wider society.
SAACS recognizes that there is need for a balanced and coordinated approach encompassing supply, control and demand reduction programmes. SAACS seeks to develop programmes which mutually reinforce each other for effectively addressing the problem on all fronts.