Bénéfices d’un partenariat pour l’évaluation d’un programme de prévention des surdoses initié par des pairs.

In 2015, in partnership with a research team, the PROFAN program was initiated by a group of peers to counter the increasing number of overdose-related deaths in Montreal. As of 2018, they have offered, in collaboration with the Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ) (Quebec Association of Addiction Workers), over 160 training sessions, and have connected with 500 Québec organizations, resulting in a total of over 2,000 participants. A participative evaluation process was undertaken with respect to the expansion of the program. The level of engagement of both partners was evaluated for each stage of the research process, as well as the benefits reported by each party. Examining the level of engagement during the evaluation process highlighted the leadership exhibited by the PROFAN team regarding funding and the dissemination of results. The research team provided leadership for the production of the protocol and analysis, and helped with dissemination among researchers and specialists in the domain. Data collection involved a collaboration between both parties. As for reported benefits, some were associated with the program’s operations (increased credibility, support for it being updated, establishing partnerships), and others involved peer empowerment (skills development). The need to urgently intervene to decrease the number of overdose deaths seems to have facilitated the funding of the program and the development of partnerships. The partnership between PROFAN and the research team has been marked by collaboration and a sharing of expertise.