Collective Voices Effecting Change: Meaningful involvement of people who use drugs
A new report, Collective Voices Effecting Change, includes national guidelines for the meaningful participation of people who use drugs in healthcare. For over two decades, peer-run organizations of people who use drugs in Canada have been active in improving the health and safety of people who use drugs through advocacy, education, policy development, peer support, research and health promotion
On October 16-17, 2013 SOLID (Society of Living Illicit Drug Users) hosted a national meeting in Victoria of peer-run organizations. The purpose of this meeting was to build a national, collective voice. In attendance were representatives from fourteen independent peer-run organizations across Canada and peer representations from BC Health Authorities and ally organizations.
Peer-run organizations have the shared goal of advocating on behalf of their peers and are committed to strengthening policy, services, research and practice to improve conditions of people who use drugs. Activities of peer-run organizations are diverse, acting as a nimble response to regional concerns of people who use drugs. Activities of peer-run organizations include providing harm reduction supplies and take-home naloxone, peer support, participation on policy boards and advisory boards and research design and implementation.
This national meeting was an opportunity to share expertise and strategies of local initiatives. In the final report Collective Voices Effecting Change the participants outlined priorities for peer organizations: strengthening a national movement, sharing current work on principles of self-representation, developing national guidelines for meaningful participation of people who use drugs.
Peer-run organizations are committed to strengthening programming and policy that improves conditions for people who use drugs. Collective Voices Effecting Change urges people who are developing programs and services to engage and collaborate with peer-run organizations and to use the strategies outlined in the final report to create meaningful programming.