Transcript Jason FARRELL

Strategies for Utilizing Consumers in the
Development of Harm Reduction Services
Jason Farrell, Harm Reduction Consulting Services, Inc. - EQUS Conference, Brussels 15 – 17 June 2011
Presentation Overview
 Presentation will highlight how consumers can be recruited as
board members, advisory group participants, service providers, and
most importantly to become empowered by offering opportunities
to participate in the design of standards for the provision of harm
reduction and substance use related services, ultimately allowing
their recommendations to not only be heard but put into action
Effective Harm Reduction Services
 Prevent infections
 Provide education and support
 Provide interventions: improve health, reduce/eliminate risks,
adherence to treatments, and mange drug use
 Provide risk assessments, triage and diagnostic care
 Provide access to medical care and drug treatment
 Referrals to other social services: mental health, housing, etc.
 Provided in a user friendly safe nurturing environment
Consumers Contributions
 Provision of services
 Location of services
 Service delivery models
 Operational guidelines
 Program development
 Collaborative outcomes and community benefits
Overcoming Barriers
 Trust: for many years consumers have been told we listen and care
when if fact many times suggestions fall by the waist side
 Accountability: recommendations must be taken into consideration
and put into action. Consumers must be allowed to not only
identify problematic issues but as a group recommend resolutions
 Commitment: from board members to the volunteers, top down,
all must be committed to involving consumers with development,
guidance and provision of program services
 Incentives: offering consumers incentives who participate on
advisory committees can lead to consistent attendance and
participation. Such fringe benefits can range from metro travel
support, attending trainings and travelling to conferences
Organizational Chart
How it Works
 PAC meeting minutes are given to the executive director to review.
Executive director will meet with or provide written response to
consumers recommendations and issues identified. Furthermore
PAC may be asked to provide suggested resolution to issues they
identified.
 PAC chair person being board member will present meeting
minutes at NGO board of director meetings.
 Based upon funding and feasibility, plans or time line will be
developed to implement recommendations.
 If funding is needed then PAC recommendations will be used to
solicit funding for such services from donors
Provision of Services
 Hours: when best to engage target risk groups
 Type of services: based upon need and request
 Staffing: rapport, training, quality
 Insight on trends of drug use and risk behaviours
 Strategic planning of services based upon disclosed needs
Location of Services
 Locations where outreach should be conducted: drugs sold; drug
users congregate, sex work areas
 Due to police actions many of these locations change rapidly
 Despite infection rates provided by government and police reports
of drug use/dealing, drug users can help identify trends of new
locations where services are needed and where new infections are
likely to occur
Service Delivery Models
 Fixed location: offices
 Outreach: various locations
 Street based: table, fixed site; and foot, walking
 Mobile: car, van, motor bike
 Peer Based
 Peer Delivered
Operational Guidelines
 Drop in centre rules
 Self policing/regulating drop in centre and area near centre
 Prevent drug dealing, using and selling stolen property
 Contain problematic participants
 The centre or NGO becomes the consumer’s centre
 Gain a sense of ownership
Program Development
 Board Membership
 Advisory Committees/Boards
 Focus Groups
 Funding Applications
Board Membership
 It is important to have equal representation on boards
 Including drug users, people living with HIV/HCV and other
infectious diseases the NGO targets
 All genders, sexual orientations, race, and nationalities
Consumer Advisory Committees
 Consumer or participant advisory committees’ are made up of
program participants, to provide input and guidance on program
policies and operations.
 Responsible for identifying potential problems in program
operation and for proposing solutions to these potential problems.
 Incentives such as funds for metro travel, meals at each meeting,
and ability to attend conferences, i.e. travel representing the
organization can help with membership retention.
Advisory Committee Membership
 Potential members should state reasons wanting to participate,
and what skills or personal experience they offer to improve the
services of the NGO or program.
 Membership process should clearly define committee members’
terms, allowing rotation of membership, to avoid burnout.
 The selection process should also allow for alternate members as a
way to train new members, fill vacancies, and to ensure maximum
participation in the event of illness or other absence.
Advisory Committee Outcomes
 The advisory committee should have a purpose statement outlining
direction towards improving program services for clients, and to
regularly assess its success in achieving this purpose.
 What has been helpful is to establish measurable goals for not only
improving client satisfaction with services, but how satisfaction has
been attributable towards enrollment, retention and achieving
NGO’s overall goals and objectives.
 To ensure participant advisory committee recommendations are
taken into consideration chair persons should be members of the
NGO’s board of directors.
Focus Groups
 Anonymous consumer satisfaction surveys
 Random interviews
 Ideally focus groups should be facilitated by non NGO staff or
affiliates
 Best results are when a non threatening space is created where
focus group members can freely discuss concerns without fear of
retribution or adverse consequences for speaking badly about staff
or services
Sustaining Consumer Collaboration
 Leadership within the harm reduction community and donors to ensure
consumers are involved with service development, guidance and delivery
 Mechanisms or policies should be mandated by donors requiring sustained
collaborations and accountability between consumers, NGO developers and
policy makers
 Accountability, without it NGO’s can provide fabricated lists of consumers
involved in development or advisory groups
 Documentation or minutes from advisory committee meetings and board
meetings can be furnished with each monthly report prior to reimbursement
from donor. When funding is subjected to these requirements accountability
will become evident
 Consumers can provide invaluable information, insight and leadership when
treated with respect and dignity as colleagues
Contact Information
 Thank you – Dank U – Merci – Danke
 Jason Farrell
Harm Reduction Consulting Services, Inc.
+31 (0) 6 4848 7418
[email protected]