Peer-Led Harm Reduction

By centering services on peer-led, lived-experience-informed harm reduction, organizations reduce overdose deaths and increase engagement in care, because trust built through shared experience and non-judgmental support lowers barriers to access and fosters sustainable behavior change. This strategy integrates peer support and harm reduction as core mechanisms, distinguishing it from clinical or abstinence-only models. It emphasizes dignity, autonomy, and safety by empowering people who use drugs to lead solutions, distribute life-saving tools, and guide program design—creating more accessible, relatable, and effective interventions.

orgs running it

151

activities of those orgs

clusters touched

who runs it

organizations running this strategy · 6

what it looks like in practice

activities of orgs running this strategy

A sample of programmatic activities from the orgs above. These are what the strategy looks like on the ground.

Community Event Planning MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Forms ad hoc workgroups, such as the Recovery Day Celebration Workgroup, to plan annual events like the Yavapai County Recovery Celebration.
Community Reentry Projects MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Provides supportive services, information referrals, and mentor pairing for individuals re-entering communities from incarceration through its Community Reentry Projects.
Community Reentry Projects MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Provides supportive services, information referrals, and mentor pairing for individuals re-entering communities from incarceration through its Community Reentry Projects. This is guided by the Yavapai Reentry Project Planning Committee.
Community Reentry Support Services MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Provides supportive services, information referrals, and mentor pairing for individuals re-entering communities from incarceration through the Community Reentry Projects, guided by the Yavapai Reentry Project Planning Committee.
Community Steering Committees and Workgroups MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Operates two steering committees (Prescott Area and Verde Valley) and holds quarterly meetings for the Chino Valley Workgroup to guide programming and implement strategies for substance use reduction and prevention in Yavapai County.
Family Education on Substance Use Prevention MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Engages parents and caregivers with guidance to talk early and often with youth about the risks of substance use as part of community-level prevention efforts.
Funding Distribution to Coalitions MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
capacity building
Contracts with over 40 coalitions across Arizona to distribute State Opioid Response and/or Substance Use Block Grant funds.
Local Steering and Workgroup Coordination MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Operates regional steering committees (Prescott Area and Verde Valley) and convenes regular workgroups, including the quarterly Chino Valley Workgroup and ad hoc groups like the Recovery Day Celebration Workgroup, to implement substance use prevention strategies and community events.
Overdose Fatality Review MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
research
Reviews accidental overdose drug deaths in Yavapai County through the Yavapai County Overdose Fatality Review Board (OFRB) to determine reduction strategies.
Overdose Fatality Review Board MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
research
Reviews accidental overdose drug deaths in Yavapai County through the Yavapai County Overdose Fatality Review Board (OFRB) to determine reduction strategies.
Overdose Fatality Review and Prevention Research MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
research
Conducts in-depth reviews of accidental overdose deaths through the Yavapai County Overdose Fatality Review Board (OFRB) to identify patterns and inform local substance use reduction strategies.
Parent and Caregiver Education MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Encourages parents and caregivers to talk early and often with youth about the harms of substance use.
Statewide Coalition Capacity Building and Funding Distribution MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
capacity building
Strengthens substance use prevention efforts across Arizona by managing the Substance Awareness Coalition Leaders of Arizona (SACLAz) network and contracting with over 40 coalitions to distribute State Opioid Response and Substance Use Block Grant funds.
Statewide Coalition Leadership and Funding MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
capacity building
Manages the Substance Awareness Coalition Leaders of Arizona (SACLAz) to bring together substance use prevention leaders statewide for collective impact, and contracts with over 40 coalitions across Arizona to distribute State Opioid Response and/or Substance Use Block Grant funds.
Substance Awareness Coalition Leaders of Arizona (SACLAz) MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
capacity building
Manages SACLAz, a project that brings together substance use prevention leaders statewide to create collective impact.
Substance Use Prevention and Reduction Steering Committees and Workgroups MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Operates two steering committees (Prescott Area and Verde Valley) and holds quarterly meetings for the Chino Valley Workgroup to guide programming and implement strategies for substance use reduction and prevention in Yavapai County.
Yavapai Reentry Project Planning Committee MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Manages the Yavapai Reentry Project Planning Committee, which provides insight and direction for local reentry programming.
Youth Engagement and Development MATFORCE THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE
direct service
Organizes youth contests and operates the Yavapai County Youth Council, where youth implement projects and provide input to leadership, to engage young people in Yavapai County.