Research-Operational Partnerships in the Launch of a Hybrid Consumer-Operated Drop-In Center for Veterans.

The West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) peer center is a hybrid consumer-operated drop-in center developed to enhance community integration for veterans who have experienced considerable adversity, including homelessness, mental health challenges, and a history of traumatic life events. A steering committee stewarding the program's launch and implementation involved VA administrators, veteran leaders from community organizations, VA contractors, and subject matter experts, including embedded researchers. Guided by participatory implementation science principles, researchers drew from planning discussions among VA and community partners to codesign a program charter that laid the groundwork for an iterative formulation of program practices, performance metrics, and an evaluation plan that engaged partners-including veterans-in continuous quality improvement.