Participant, peer and PEEP: Considerations and Strategies for involving people who have used illicit substances as assistants and advisors in research

The Peer Engagement and Evaluation Project (PEEP) is a community based participatory research aimed to represent voices of People who use Substance (PWUS). PEEP demonstrated that involving peers in research brings positive impact. Several issues that were brought up are not new, such as peers not being compensated enough for their work and their lived experience not being valued enough within the organization. The project hires diverse group of PWUS as paid members. PEEP addresses some challenges such as compensation, role distribution, also connections among members. Through PEEP, it can be concluded that keys to growth in groups involving PWUS are communication, support, and reflexivity. Safe space should be a priority and be mindful regarding people’s preference in building connection in person rather than virtually. Involving PWUS in decision-making process is not limited only to research, but also in other community settings such as in drug policy and service provision, by doing so, it can help with counterbalancing discriminatory opinions.

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

• Community based participatory research is beneficial to the community and the members
• Several issues are brought up regarding PWUS working in a support setting including unfair compensation and their experience not given enough value
• Communication, support, and connections are important for growth of members and the community

Key Findings Related Implementation Approaches:

• Recruit and hire peers as paid members
• Ensure that compensation is fair
• Have one-on-one conversation when discussing about financial circumstances and other barriers
• Set clear role and project expectations
• Gather feedbacks from peers
• Adapt communication styles to peers
• Prioritize connection and collaboration
• Provide mentorship by hiring peers from the beginning
• Work with local peers in areas such as spreading information and recruitment

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

• Figure 1: Organizational structure and make-up of the BC Harm Reduction Services and Strategies Committee and the Peer Engagement and Evaluation project
• Figure 2: Peer Engagement and Evaluation Project process
• Table 1: Evaluation of the PEEP process using the peer engagement process evaluation framework
• Table 2: Lessons and strategies for engaging people who use substances or peers as active members of a research project