Review of the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) - March 31, 2008

Executive Summary

The objective of this review was to assess the adequacy of the management and delivery of the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program managed by the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB).

The National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) originated in the mid 1970's and is a permanently funded program facing increasing changes in the addictions treatment environment. The program's goal is to help First Nations and Inuit communities set up and operate programs aimed at reducing high levels of alcohol, drug, and solvent abuse among on-reserve populations. The NNADAP supports a national network of 54 treatment programs, with some 700 treatment beds, provides over 550 prevention programs and employs over 1200 workers - almost all employed by First Nations and Inuit communities. Program activities can be divided into the following three areas: prevention, intervention and aftercare.

The review identified a number of areas requiring the Branch's attention and the corresponding recommendations are summarized below:

• Ensure that a formal risk assessment of the NNADAP is carried out to ensure successful and effective delivery of the program.
• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the NNADAP partners, particularly the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation.
• Develop a formal process to measure performance and highlight areas for improvement.
• Revisit business requirements for the National Native Addictions Information Management System.
• Ensure completeness of documentation holdings supporting contribution agreement spending and improve the quality of activity reports.