Use Opioid Epidemic Outreach

The Opioid Epidemic Outreach solution delivers a set of capabilities that help you inventory prevention and treatment resources, communicate the severity of the epidemic, and promote resources available to those in need.

In this topic, you’ll learn how to use the solution by assuming the role of a user and performing the workflows below.

Note:

Use your organization's data or configured apps to follow these workflows.

Inventory opioid resources

Resources to address the opioid epidemic in a community can often change. New providers become available, operating hours and contact information at certain facilities change over time. This can make it challenging for residents in your community to know where to find accurate information. A variety of opioid resources can be added to your inventory and shared with the public. The Opioid Resource Inventory app can be used by health and human service agencies to inventory health resources that will be shared with the public.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a staff member in the health and human services agency. You have been asked to inventory known opioid resources, such as alternative medicine providers, naloxone distribution locations, sharps disposal locations, drug drop-off locations, addiction treatment facilities, and homeless services in the community.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, search for Opioid Resource Inventory, and open the app.
2. Click Resource Editor. Scroll through the list of available opioid resource types and place the location of a resource of your choice on the map.

   Tip:

   If you have a list of opioid resources in a spreadsheet already, you can use the Load Opioid Resources tool to load the entire list of resources.

   Note:

   The Load Opioid Resources widget will consume credits if you use an address in your spreadsheet to create the opioid resource location.

3. Enter details about the health resource location:
   • Full Address
   • Phone
   • Website
   • Operational Hours
   • Comments
   • Instructions

   Tip:

   This solution uses the Operating Hours Specification and relies on a series of data standards (for example, Mo-Fr (7:00-19:00)) to render the operating hours correctly. For more information, see Populate operational hours.

4. Click Save, and then click Clear.
5. Repeat these steps for each opioid resource you want to add to your inventory.

Review Opioid Epidemic Outreach destination

Improving outcomes with the opioid epidemic starts at the community level and requires transparent public education to provide information about the status of the dangers in your area. In addition to receiving education about the current state of overdoses in your area, the public needs to find out information about prevention, treatment, and harm reduction to assist people seeking help and provide volunteer opportunities.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a resident in the community. You are interested in the background information about the epidemic in the community and volunteering opportunities, but you are also interested in prevention, treatment, and harm reduction efforts.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site.
2. Review the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site and the Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, and Harm Reduction focus areas.
3. Scroll to the Overdose Locations section.

   The overdoses data is aggregated to a boundary such as a hexbin or a jurisdictional boundary such as a city ward. These generalized areas help preserve anonymity and highlight focus areas to align prevention efforts.

4. Scroll to the How Are We Doing? section.

   The dashboard represents key demographic information and trends to assist in targeting prevention efforts.

5. Review the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site for information about breaking the stigma, frequently asked questions, and partner agencies.

Volunteer to help

Local consortiums addressing the opioid epidemic are always looking for volunteers that can help with activities that educate the public. The Opioid Epidemic Outreach Volunteers survey can be used by the public to volunteer to help with various prevention and educational outreach activities.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of an engaged resident in the community. You are passionate about helping the community address the opioid epidemic and would like to volunteer your time, experiences, and skills.

1. In a browser, go to the Opioid Epidemic Outreach hub site.
2. Scroll to the Volunteer to Help section.
3. Click the Volunteer Now button.
4. Complete the Opioid Epidemic Outreach Volunteers form and click Submit.

Report needles

Unfortunately, with the epidemic, communities have seen an increase in needles and other drug paraphernalia left in public places. This problem creates an unsafe environment and often requires specialized equipment for pickup and disposal. Identifying these areas also allows communities to help identify areas to target placement of sharps disposal or other prevention efforts.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a concerned resident in the community. You have noticed needles or other drug paraphernalia in the community and want to submit a report so they can be disposed of properly.

1. In a browser, go to the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site.
2. Scroll to the If you see needles or other drug paraphernalia in the community, report it. section.
3. Click the Report It! button.
4. Complete the Needle Reporter form and click Submit.

Explore prevention efforts

Many people do not recognize the harm posed by opioids. Several simple things can be done to help the community understand roles they can play in prevention, such as disposing unused medications and looking at alternative pain-management options.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a resident in the community who wants to learn more about treatment and recovery efforts in the community and how to locate alternative pain-management, drug drop-off boxes, and sharps disposal locations.

Locate a drug drop-off box

First, you will locate the nearest drug drop-off box.

1. At the top of the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site, click Prevention.
2. Scroll to the Locate Drop Boxes section.
3. Click Locate drop box.

   The Drug Drop-off Locator app appears.

4. Type an address in the search field or click Search this area and press Enter.
5. In the search results, examine the first returned drop box.
6. Optionally, click the Directions button to view turn-by-turn directions to the selected drop box.

   Note:

   The Directions button will only be visible if you have configured it previously.

7. Close the Drug Drop-off Locator app.

Identify alternative pain-management locations

Now, you will identify alternative pain-management locations.

1. Scroll to the Locate Alternative Pain Management section.
2. Click Locate provider.

   The Pain Management Locator  app appears.

3. Type an address in the search field or click Search this area and press Enter.
4. In the search results, examine the first alternative pain-management provider.
5. Optionally, click the Directions button to view turn-by-turn directions to the selected alternative pain-management provider.

   Note:

   The Directions button will only be visible if you have configured it previously.

6. Close the Pain Management Locator  app.

Find treatment and recovery information

People do recover and the importance of recovery programs cannot be emphasized enough. However, understanding what treatment options are available in the community can be a challenge.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a resident in the community and learn more about local treatment and recovery efforts and how to locate treatment providers.

1. At the top of the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site, click Treatment and Recovery.
2. Scroll to the Locate Treatment Providers section.
3. Click Locate provider.

   The Opioid Treatment Locator app appears.

4. Type an address in the search field or click Search this area and press Enter.
5. In the search results, examine the first returned treatment location.
6. Optionally, click the Directions button to view turn-by-turn directions to the selected treatment location.

   Note:

   The Directions button will only be visible if you have configured it previously.

7. Click the Filter button and check various check boxes to filter the map by payment, services offered, and type.
8. Close the Opioid Treatment Locator app.

Review harm reduction information

Harm reduction is about meeting people "where they are at" and focusing on several strategies such as safe and managed use in addition to abstinence. Naloxone is an important tool in harm reduction that has saved thousands of lives when an overdose occurs, and it is recommended to be carried by anyone taking opioids and their loved ones.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a resident in the community and learn more about harm reduction efforts in the community and how to locate naloxone. To locate naloxone in the community, complete the following steps:

1. At the top of the Opioid Epidemic Outreach site, click Harm Reduction.
2. Scroll to the Locate Naloxone section.
3. Click Locate naloxone.

   The Naloxone Locator app appears.

4. Type an address in the search field or click Search this area and press Enter.
5. In the search results, examine the first returned naloxone location.
6. Optionally, click the Directions button to view turn-by-turn directions to the selected naloxone location.

   Note:

   The Directions button will only be visible if you have configured it previously.

7. Close the Naloxone Locator app.

Manage volunteers and needle reports

As volunteers offer to help with a variety of education and outreach activities, health and human services staff may contact the volunteers to ensure each one has the required skills and experiences and then align their skills and experiences with appropriate volunteer opportunities.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a staff member in the health and human services agency. You have been asked to review volunteer applications and contact each volunteer after you have completed your review.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, search for Opioid Epidemic Outreach Manager, and then open the app.
2. In the left panel, click the Opioid Epidemic Outreach Volunteers map.
3. Select a volunteer in the table or on the map.
4. Review each volunteer application form on the Info tab.
5. Click the Edit button to begin editing.
6. Click the Status drop-down arrow and choose a status.
7. Optionally, add comments to the volunteer application form in the Internal Comments text box.
8. Click Save.
9. Click Send email.

   Your email client opens, allowing you to format the email message and attach any additional information you want to share with the volunteer.

Manage needle reports

As residents report needles in their community, these reports must be assigned to people who are equipped to dispose of needles properly and accurately keep track of progress of the reports.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a staff member in the health and human services agency. You have been asked to review drug paraphernalia and assign a designated clean-up person after you have completed your review.

1. In the Opioid Epidemic Outreach Manager app, on the left, click the Drug Paraphernalia Reports map.
2. Select a needle report in the table or on the map.
3. Review each report form on the Info tab.
4. Click the Edit button to begin editing.
5. Click the Status drop-down arrow and choose a status.
6. Optionally, add notes and assign the report to a specific person to clean up.
7. Click Save.