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From One Ally to Another: Practice Guidelines to Better Include People Who Use Drugs at Your Decision-Making Tables

PracticesPeople who use drugsCanada

Summary

This document provides in depth approach to promote genuine participation of people with lived and living experiences by summarizing the results of a research study and providing evidence-based practice guidelines for allies to better include people who use drugs at their decision-making tables

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Key Findings

Involving PWUD in decision-making process helps to ensure that policies, research and services are more relevant. Organization structure that prioritize PWUD in this process is key for their involvement, however there is no clear policies to guide this process. Stigma and other political influence such as drug policies impact involvement of PWUD and hinder harm reduction efforts. PWUD in harm reduction setting are generally valued for their drug use experience but devalued in other areas, they also pressure themselves to excel and perform to change the perception of PWUD. Efforts such as creating a safe space, providing more opportunities, facilitating constructive communication, and applying democracy in the process and inviting representatives from different organizations can increase involvement of PWUD.

Key findings related to emerging/promising principles for engaging PWLLE:

  • Involving PWUD in decision-making process helps for policy to be more relevant
  • Policies in guiding involvement of PWUD should be established
  • PWUD are generally valued for their drug use experience, but not in other areas
  • Efforts in several areas should be implemented to facilitate their involvement further

Key findings related to emerging/promising practices for engaging PWLLE:

  • Valuing skills and experiences of PWUD, not just their drug use experience
  • Seek for representation from organizations to speak for their experience and bring up issues in the system

Key finding on policy:

  • Change in organization structure and areas such as drug policy should be implemented.

Key Findings Related Implementation Approaches:

Changes in these areas should be implemented:

  • Organization structure that is more inclusive
  • Adding democracy in decision-making process

How to better include PWUD:

  • Preparation in inviting PWUD
  • Explore models of including PWUD
  • Meet the needs of PWUD when involving them in decision-making process
  • Practice challenging stigma
  • Create a safe space
  • Advocate for better health and drug policy

Other Resource Materials (i.e. images, frameworks, tables…):

Figure 1: Comparison of Education, Food Security and Income between People who Use Drugs and Other Study Participants at the Four Committee Tables Included in this Study