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Support for Safe Consumption Sites Among Peer Recovery Coaches

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Abstract

Safe consumption sites (SCSs), legally sanctioned facilities where people can use drugs under medical supervision, are an effective strategy to reduce overdose fatalities. Peer recovery coaches (PRCs), substance use service providers with lived experience in recovery, are a key provider group affecting SCS implementation. This study assesses support for SCSs among PRCs and identifies personal and professional characteristics associated with support for these sites. PRCs (N = 260) in Michigan were recruited to complete a web-based survey (July–September 2021), reporting their demographics, lived experience, abstinence orientation, attitudes toward clients, training experiences, and support for legalizing SCSs. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with support for SCSs. Half of PRCs (49.0%) expressed support for legalizing SCSs in Michigan. Compared to women, men had greater odds of supporting SCSs (OR = 2.113, p = .014). PRCs who identified as Black (OR = 0.361, p = .014) and other people of color (OR = 0.338, p = .014) had lower odds of supporting SCSs compared to PRCs who identified as white. More stigmatizing attitudes toward clients (OR = 0.921, p = .022) and preference for abstinence-only treatment (OR = 0.452, p = .013) were associated with lower odds of supporting SCSs. Increasing support for SCSs among PRCs is important given their influence on the success of SCS initiatives. Professional training which addresses deeply rooted values and beliefs may help increase support for SCSs. However, policy changes may be necessary to address structural racism affecting SCS acceptability among PRCs of color.

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Data Availability

Data from this study are available on request from the corresponding author (EP).

Notes

  1. Participants who reported a work setting other than within a substance use treatment or recovery program, community mental health agency, healthcare, or the criminal legal system were given the option to write in their work setting. Write-in responses were recategorized wherever possible; however, 13 participants reported working within another setting without providing further description.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Kristina Nikolova and Dr. Sydney O’Shay for their constructive feedback.

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services under grant number TI083298. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services approved the study design and assisted with recruitment. The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Wayne State University, 5447 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Emily Pasman PhD, Suzanne Brown PhD, Elizabeth Agius BA & Stella M. Resko PhD

  2. School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 426 N Ingalls St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Emily Pasman PhD

  3. Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, 71 E Ferry St, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Stella M. Resko PhD

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Pasman, E., Brown, S., Agius, E. et al. Support for Safe Consumption Sites Among Peer Recovery Coaches. J Behav Health Serv Res 51, 219–231 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-023-09846-3

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