The National Chapters Spotlight Interview is an ISSUP series that highlights the people leading and shaping our National Chapters globally. This Q&A aims to increase the visibility of ISSUP's National Chapters and recognise their contributions to strengthening the global ISSUP network.

This month’s spotlight is on Natalia Zachartzi, Director of ISSUP Greece and Scientific Director of SEIRIOS - Centres for the Prevention of Addictions and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health in Greece. Natalia shares her professional background, which spans youth work, substance use prevention, disability advocacy and organisational leadership, and reflects on her journey with ISSUP over the past 6 years.

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I began working in England while studying for a BA in Social Work.  I got involved with an organisation called Cornerhouse Yorkshire, whose work with young people sparked a strong interest in practical intervention and prevention.

After my studies, I returned to Greece and became the Scientific Director of SEIRIOS, a prevention centre in the Municipality of Thessaloniki, which operates in collaboration with the National Organisation of Prevention and Addictions Treatment. I have held this position for approximately 20 years.

I have worked both as a decision-maker and directly in the field, implementing prevention interventions for families, schools, communities and workplaces, and I view substance use prevention as really important to public health and education.

I also work with people with disabilities where I contribute to promoting and implementing the rights of persons with disabilities in Greece, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. My work focuses particularly on inclusion, participation, empowerment, equal opportunities, and access to appropriate support. This is closely connected to prevention, as inclusive and supportive environments can strengthen protective factors, reduce vulnerability and inequalities, and promote health and psychosocial well-being.

I became involved with the ISSUP Greece National Chapter after being introduced to it by Phaedon Kaloterakis. We both share a commitment to evidence-based practices, professional connections and collaborative initiatives. Our first meeting with ISSUP demonstrated that ISSUP were open-minded, collaborative, supportive and impactful - highlighting ISSUP’s ability to connect professionals across disciplines and countries around a shared purpose. We then made an application – and as they say – the rest is history!

• Collaborative: ISSUP brings together professionals from every discipline and country.
• Supportive: ISSUP creates a family-like, non-judgemental and non-stigmatising community.
• Impactful: ISSUP contributes to change in policy, practice and professional development.

I feel that ISSUP members come from diverse professional, personal and national backgrounds but share more commonalities than differences. This shared purpose enables them to combine perspectives and feel part of something bigger than their individual professional settings.

National Chapters create opportunities to bring people together, combine experience, research and practice, and work more efficiently by sharing time, energy and resources. I think it’s an inclusive platform supporting professional development, collaboration and evidence-informed practice.

My most memorable experience was attending the ISSUP conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2022. It provided the opportunity to meet colleagues in-person after a long time speaking online, which reinforced a sense of international community and shared purpose.

I recall seeing Joanna, Bárbara and Kirsty from ISSUP at Abu Dhabi airport upon arrival whilst waiting for COVID tests. Once the conference began, I remember entering the large conference hall and seeing people from many countries. And I remember lots of colours! It gave me a strong sense that they we are not alone in the work of prevention. The scale and diversity of the event really brought home the international nature of our shared commitment and efforts to advance prevention.

I also remember participating in a multi-cultural training in Abu Dhabi, where people from different countries and cultures worked towards improving lives and strengthening support systems. In fact, we continue to keep in touch through a WhatsApp group, even after all these years, which demonstrates that relationships extend beyond the event.

I expect ISSUP to strengthen and expand its role as a global platform for professional development, training, capacity-building, networking and evidence-informed knowledge,  eventually becoming a leading voice across prevention, treatment, recovery support and public health, with an active role in shaping policies and practices worldwide – and giving prevention greater international visibility and space within global professional discussions.

ISSUP has provided me with an international professional family that had been missing previously.  It has strengthened Greek networks, evidence-informed practice, training and access to prevention knowledge, and created opportunities for learning, professional growth and connections with experts and colleagues worldwide, while broadening our perspective on international collaboration.

At a national level, ISSUP has strengthened professional networks in Greece, with membership continuing to grow. It has promoted evidence-informed approaches and created opportunities for dialogue, training and knowledge-sharing among professionals and students.

Unfortunately, prevention is not currently included as a module in Greek undergraduate or postgraduate university programmes. ISSUP provides accessible information and a wider community through which people can develop their knowledge and connect with international colleagues.

I would like ISSUP Greece to keep growing as a dynamic and inclusive Chapter that supports professional development, encourages collaboration, strengthens implementation of evidence-informed practices and gives professionals space to discuss prevention.

Sadly, the future of ISSUP Greece’s National Chapter is currently linked to the profound uncertainty surrounding the future of the Prevention Centres in Greece. The country’s 75 Prevention Centres, which have played a vital role in community-based prevention and the promotion of psychosocial health for more than three decades, are currently operating under significant institutional and operational uncertainty. Their existing Programming Agreement is due to expire on 31 December 2027, and, despite the importance and long-standing contribution of the Centres, there is still no clear public commitment or established framework guaranteeing their continuation beyond that date.

This situation raises serious concerns not only for the sustainability of the Prevention Centres and the professionals working within them, but also for the continuity of evidence-informed prevention services and the accumulated expertise that has been developed within local communities across Greece. At a time when the need for effective, community-based prevention is increasing, the possibility of losing or fundamentally restructuring this established prevention network would represent a significant setback for prevention policy and practice in the country.

Despite this uncertainty, I remain strongly committed to the future of ISSUP Greece’s National Chapter. I believe that the Chapter can and should continue to provide an inclusive professional space, strengthen the prevention workforce, promote evidence-informed practice, facilitate knowledge exchange, and connect Greek professionals with the wider international prevention community. My sincere hope is that, irrespective of the institutional developments affecting the Prevention Centres, we can preserve and further develop this professional community and ensure that prevention remains a strong, evidence-informed and sustainable pillar of public health in Greece.