The CAN Leadership Graduation

Over the past 4 months, 24 of Victoria’s leading alcohol and drug clinicians and managers have undergone an Intensive Leadership program and established a Community of Practice. A Community of Practice is a group of people whose members share passion for something they ‘do’ and by having regular and formalised contact with one another, they learn to improve how they do it. Communities of Practice are characterised by sustained mutual relationships and shared ways of working.

The CAN Community of Practice aims to unite existing and emerging leaders within the Victorian AOD sector who have a range of skills and experiences and are from a range of professions. Our 24 members have now established a Community of Practice; developed the processes and governance framework; a communication and influence strategy; an action plan for CAN to meet its objectives; and a model for the Advanced Practitioners Network (APN) and its implementation which will include enhanced clinical skills and clinical leadership skills training.

The CAN Community of Practice has a vision to support a dynamic workforce which is responsive and sustainable, promoting evidence-based practice and collective wisdom, and to facilitate measurable and beneficial outcomes for clients and communities. The CAN also aims to provide representation for the AOD sector and actively participate in key sector forums and conferences, and be a reference group for government bodies (e.g. DoH) when developing AOD policies and activities in the area of workforce development.

Last week, the CAN members graduated from the Leadership Victoria Intensive Leadership Program auspiced through the CAN project. Each CAN member made a moving leadership pledge at the graduation about how they will generate and support cultural and practice change across the AOD sector. We know that they will take their enhanced leadership knowledge and skills back to their workplaces and teams which will benefit the entire organisation and gradually, the broader AOD sector.

That’s all for now! Keep checking back here for more details, and subscribe to us (link in the sidebar) so you’ll never miss an update from the CAN.

– CAN Project Team