ReWired participants often talk about the connection that comes from being with people who have been through the same experiences as them. The sense of care and camaraderie in the room is palpable – and as it turns out, ReWired is getting results.
ReWired groups meet people where they're at, and participants set their own goals. For some, it's connecting with others in a similar situation and identifying signs things aren't going well before they happen. For others it's changing their relationship with methamphetamine, and some want to take a break or stop completely.
A recent evaluation of the ReWired programme found that participants reported a rise in their satisfaction with their progress – starting at an average of 5.43, which rose to 7.79 out of 10 after completing ReWired.
The evaluation also found that participants reported:
- an average 57% reduction in methamphetamine use
- an 86% reduction in needle sharing – a win for prevention of HIV and Hep C
- an 89% reduction in housing difficulties
- a 67% improvement in psychological distress scores.
It’s clear that our eight-week programme is making a huge difference in people’s lives. So what makes ReWired so effective?
For the community, by the community
ReWired is a peer support programme, meaning it’s developed by, for and with men who have sex with men. It’s a place where you can talk openly about the intersections of drugs, sex, your relationships and your life.
ReWired facilitators are all guys who have their own experiences or connections to this community. That means when you walk into a ReWired group, you don’t have to explain the context of your life. You’re free to talk openly, without judgment, and hear what’s worked for others.
The lead external evaluator, Anne Bateman of Bateman Consulting, thinks this is part of what makes ReWired so special.
"The fact that ReWired is really for peers by peers is a very meaningful statement," Bateman says. "We're seeing more and more of the lived experience voice, not just in delivery, but in design. I think that was a really strong component that led to such positive outcomes."
Former ReWired Programme Lead Shaun Hill agrees.
"This is often the first time many of the people in our groups are able to talk about their concerns or challenges in an integrated way… they can share with people who understand the language of the scene and community,” he says.
How was ReWired evaluated?
Three ReWired facilitators were trained to act as evaluators, allowing them to build rapport more quickly with the interviewees. Interviews spanned former ReWired participants, facilitators and stakeholders, such as members of the ReWired steering group, sexual health clinicians and other health professionals.
Leif Wauters has experience of ReWired from all sides. Leif joined ReWired first as a participant, became a facilitator, assisted the evaluation, and has recently moved into leading the programme.
Leif describes contributing to the programmes’ evaluation as ‘immensely gratifying.’
“My intimate relationship with ReWired made me perfectly suited to speak with them as an equal who understood exactly where they were coming from. It removed any boundaries that could have arose if the interviewer had been someone unfamiliar with chemsex or the programme, creating a safe environment for them to open up with someone they could relate to,” says Leif.
Even in an evaluation context, that connection created through peer support goes a long way! Other stakeholders commented on how people open up with peers in ways they wouldn’t with clinicians:
"They come in quite closed off, quite guarded, and by the end they're talking openly, supporting each other, even laughing together about things that were previously sources of shame.”
- Stakeholder
Another stakeholder points to the way ReWired fills a gap, by describing encountering patients who were using methamphetamine in sexual contexts: “We didn’t have anywhere to refer them until ReWired came along.”
What’s next for ReWired?
The evaluation had some recommendations for areas of future improvement – and the ReWired team show no signs of slowing down.
Talking about sex and drugs can be taboo topics for some communities, especially when exploring their use in a PnP context. While insights gained from the past four years of ReWired have helped to highlight why talking about sex and drugs is important, there is still more work to do to develop strong culturally appropriate pathways for Māori and Pacific people especially.
But it’s clear that ReWired is making a huge difference for people, and those involved are deeply appreciated. Shaun Hill sums it up well:
“We've gathered a team of folks with lived experience that have so much heart, wisdom, and willingness to go above and beyond... Being able to create a safe space to explore topics that are so stigmatised and heavy, while bringing a lightness to it all, makes people feel change is possible – it’s a real gift.”
Read more about the evaluation on the Drug Foundation’s website, or head over to meet our facilitators.