ISSUP Bosnia & Herzegovina
ISSUP Bosnia & Herzegovina is a professional platform for connecting people and organisations working in the areas of substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.
As a National Chapter of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), our aim is to bring together professionals, institutions, academia, civil society organizations and people with lived experience to exchange knowledge, strengthen professional practice and encourage collaboration.
We believe that addressing substance use requires cooperation across disciplines and sectors. ISSUP Bosnia & Herzegovina provides a space where different perspectives, knowledge and experiences can come together, with a shared commitment to evidence-based practice and better responses to substance use and related harms.
Our Vision
Our vision is to contribute to a strong, open and inclusive professional community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Western Balkans.
We do not aim to create another organisation or professional network. Instead, we want to build a platform that connects existing expertise, initiatives and people, encourages the exchange of knowledge and good practice, and creates opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
What We Do
Through the National Chapter, we aim to:
- promote evidence-based approaches to prevention, treatment and recovery;
- facilitate knowledge sharing and professional learning;
- connect professionals and organizations across different sectors and disciplines;
- create opportunities for webinars, training, conferences and other professional activities;
- support networking and collaboration within Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region;
- encourage the involvement of people with lived experience in discussions and activities related to substance use;
- support the development of young professionals and future leaders in the field; and
- contribute to stronger, more coordinated responses to substance use through professional and regional cooperation.
Connecting Bosnia & Herzegovina with the Region
Substance use-related challenges do not stop at national borders. Professionals across the Western Balkans often face similar challenges and can learn a great deal from one another.
For this reason, regional cooperation is an important part of our vision from the very beginning. We aim to build connections with professionals, institutions and civil society organizations across the Western Balkans and create opportunities for shared learning, joint activities and future collaboration.
Our Approach
Our work is guided by collaboration rather than competition, evidence rather than assumptions, and inclusion rather than exclusion.
We value the contribution of professional knowledge, academic research and lived experience. We believe that prevention, treatment and recovery are interconnected and that effective responses require cooperation among different sectors and disciplines.
ISSUP Bosnia & Herzegovina is being developed as an open platform. We welcome professionals, organisations and others who share our commitment to improving knowledge, practice and cooperation in the field of substance use.