Peer-reviewedCC BYHarm reduction journal
Centering Veteran expertise: Advancing Peer-Led Harm Reduction in the Veterans Health Administration.
13 affiliations
- 1VA Illiana Healthcare System, 1900 E Main St, Danville, IL, 61832, USA. [email protected].
- 2San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 4150 Clement St (119), San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA. [email protected].
- 3School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, UCSF, 513 Parnassus Ave, Box 0403, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA. [email protected].
- 4VA Illiana Healthcare System, 1900 E Main St, Danville, IL, 61832, USA.
- 5Community Medical Services, 1101 Arrow Point Dr. Suite 214, Cedar Park, TX, 78613, USA.
- 6Saint Louis University, 1 N. Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO, 63103, USA.
- 7Community Medical Services, Southern Arizona, 3720 S. Park Ave Suite 601, Tucson, AZ, 85713, USA.
- 8Montare Behavioral Health/Renewal Health Group, 829860 Copper Run Dr, Harvest, AL, 35749, USA.
- 9NYU School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway 6th Floor, Rm 658A, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
- 10Department of Anthropology10, University of Colorado Denver, Campus Box 103, PO Box 173364, Denver, CO, 80217, USA.
- 11Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance, 28 Grand St, Hartford, CT, 06106, USA.
- 12Independent harm reduction advocate, Chicago, IL, USA.
- 13VA Orlando Healthcare System12, 13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA.
Abstract
The principle "Nothing about us without us" underscores the ethical imperative to involve people with lived and living expertise in shaping harm reduction praxis. While the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has expanded harm reduction initiatives, such as syringe services and naloxone distribution, over the past four years, Veterans with lived and living expertise (VWLLE) have not been meaningfully integrated into policy and program design. In response, VHA clinicians and advocates established the Harm Reduction Veteran Engagement Board (HR-VEB), a peer-supported initiative that positions VWLLE as partners in harm-reduction reforms. This perspective emphasizes structural barriers faced by Veterans who use drugs, highlights the leadership and work of HR-VEB members, and outlines policy and practice recommendations for designing more equitable care. Through the voices and work of Veterans, we argue that peer-led harm reduction is both evidence-based and a matter of social justice.
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BibTeX
@article{dinges2026centering,
title = {{Centering Veteran expertise: Advancing Peer-Led Harm Reduction in the Veterans Health Administration.}},
author = {Beth Dinges and Tessa Rife-Pennington and Avery Risinger and Aaron Ferguson and Aaron M Laxton and Kristi Rodriguez and Zachary Goff and Franklin Taveras and Juan Cortez and Alex S Bennett and Nikketa Marina Burges and Mark Jenkins and Garry Hayes and Minh Q Ho},
journal = {Harm reduction journal},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12954-026-01478-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958363},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Centering Veteran expertise: Advancing Peer-Led Harm Reduction in the Veterans Health Administration.
AU - Beth Dinges
AU - Tessa Rife-Pennington
AU - Avery Risinger
AU - Aaron Ferguson
AU - Aaron M Laxton
AU - Kristi Rodriguez
AU - Zachary Goff
AU - Franklin Taveras
AU - Juan Cortez
AU - Alex S Bennett
AU - Nikketa Marina Burges
AU - Mark Jenkins
AU - Garry Hayes
AU - Minh Q Ho
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Harm reduction journal
DO - 10.1186/s12954-026-01478-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958363
AB - The principle "Nothing about us without us" underscores the ethical imperative to involve people with lived and living expertise in shaping harm reduction praxis. While the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has expanded harm reduction initiatives, such as syringe services and naloxone distribution, over the past four years, Veterans with lived and living expertise (VWLLE) have not been meaningfully integrated into policy and program design. In response, VHA clinicians and advocates established the Harm Reduction Veteran Engagement Board (HR-VEB), a peer-supported initiative that positions VWLLE as partners in harm-reduction reforms. This perspective emphasizes structural barriers faced by Veterans who use drugs, highlights the leadership and work of HR-VEB members, and outlines policy and practice recommendations for designing more equitable care. Through the voices and work of Veterans, we argue that peer-led harm reduction is both evidence-based and a matter of social justice.
SN - 1477-7517
ER -