Participatory evaluation is increasingly recognized as a critical approach for producing relevant, ethical, and actionable public health evidence: particularly in work with communities disproportionately impacted by structural inequities. This session introduces participatory evaluation as both a methodology and a practice stance, highlighting how it has been applied in peer-led overdose prevention research through Research with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU). In the May 2026 session of Hot Topics in Practice, presenter Jenna Van Draanen, PhD, MPH, an Interdisciplinary Assistant Professor at the University of Washington who works in the area of behavioral health and substance use research, will draw on real-world examples from local evaluations to explain how participatory approaches shift traditional notions of rigor, expertise, and success. By viewing this webinar, participants will better understand common tensions faced in local government and funder-driven contexts, including balancing accountability to predefined outcomes with the relational and process-oriented work required for meaningful participation.