St Stephen’s Community House’s Crystal Methamphetamine Project is a community based, evidence-based, peer led, harm reduction project aimed at building the capacity of service providers and people who use crystal methamphetamine (CM) to respond to the rising use of CM and associated health and social issues including social isolation, homelessness, worsening physical and mental health and increased risk of infectious disease transmission, overdose and premature death.

The project proposes a suite of targeted interventions, population specific supports and services as part of a robust community development initiative aimed at engagement, knowledge sharing, skill development and improved stability for people who use CM. The project also includes “AMP”, a weekly mutual support and education group for people who use CM. Participants learn and share together and provide helpful insights for continual service design, testing and evaluation. The program is funded by: Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program.

CCBR worked with lead evaluator, Dr. Gillian Kolla to evaluate the Crystal Methamphetamine Project, alongside members of AMP. More specifically, CCBR designed and co-moderated two focus groups employing body-mapping methods for program participants. In addition to body-mapping design and tool development (including body-mapping related ethical protocols), CCBR assisted with ethics submission, analysis, and report writing.