Peer Programs

The empathy and support that comes from peer-to-peer roles can often be the turning point for people to take action and participate in their health and wellbeing. Our peer-based approaches aim to remove barriers to accessing health services, improve health literacy and promote self-determination. NUAA does this because of who we are and who we work with.

Peers draw upon their own lived experience to provide authentic engagement and support for people accessing harm reduction services. Peers are in a unique position to build connections and rapport with people who use and inject drugs and can increase uptake of hepatitis C prevention, testing and treatment, ensuring the appropriate messaging reaches affected communities.

NUAA has implemented several innovative and dynamic peer-led programs and service delivery models to make this happen. We have developed a partnership approach so that peers can work alongside clinical services to help individuals access services. The aim is to ensure that people who use drugs (PWUD) are empowered, informed and supplied with all the tools they need to reduce drug-related harms, prevent blood-borne virus transmission (through access to appropriate injecting equipment), get tested for the hep C (and understanding what that test means), and if needed, to get through treatment with Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs). On top of all this, we are seeking to develop the role of peers in consultation work, research groups, focus groups and speaking roles.