Quantitative
Collecting Demographic Data at Syringe Services Programs (last updated: May 25, 2023)
This document introduces some issues for SSPs to consider when writing questions to collect data about race, ethnicity, and gender in order to improve accuracy, in accordance with good practices to prioritize participant safety and protect their privacy. The document also includes tips for training staff and conducting analyses.
Estimating Individual Syringe Coverage at Syringe Services Programs (last updated: July 25, 2023)
Syringe coverage is an indicator that can help SSPs and other stakeholders estimate if people who inject drugs have enough syringes to reduce risks of infections and vein damage. This guidance is focused on calculating syringe coverage for the participants of one program and for sub-groups of participants of a program (e.g. participants who are unhoused). Health departments and researchers who work with SSPs could use this information to meaningfully engage with harm reduction staff to survey people who inject drugs and assess resource gaps. This guidance is supplemented by an example spreadsheet and a brief summary of the evidence to support needs-based syringe distribution.
The recording of the webinar launching this TA can be found here.
Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit: Data Collection Methods and Pilot Testing (last updated: September 22, 2023)
The purpose of this guidance is to help syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction programs in establishing and maintaining data collection practices for program monitoring and evaluation. Programs may find this information useful if they have questions about the types of data they might collect, how they might record it, and how they might test out their methods with staff and participants. This guidance is part of a larger Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit for SSPs that will serve as a resource for programs in all stages of the monitoring and evaluation process.
Participant Input in Harm Reduction Programs (last updated: March 27, 2023)
This short document offers an overview of participant input at SSPs and a range of resources for harm reduction programs to consult when building or changing their participant input processes.
Point in Time Survey (PiTS) Toolkit for Use at Syringe Services Programs
A Point in Time Survey (PiTS) allows a syringe services program (SSP) to ask a standardized set of questions from a portion of their clients, providing a snapshot of the population that the SSP serves. These surveys can be a quick and low-cost way to learn about the characteristics, needs, and service utilization patterns of their clients. This 6 part toolkit (Intro, Planning Phase, Design Phase, Implementation Phase, Analysis Phase, Dissemination Phase) has instruction (i.e. written guidance and recorded sessions) and tools (i.e. templates, examples) for SSPs doing a PiTS.
Population Size Estimation of People Who Inject Drugs: An Overview of Methodologies (last updated: March 4, 2024)
This document provides an overview of the different methods and considerations for estimating the size of the population who injects drugs. It is primarily intended for local health departments, academia, and other community-based organizations.
REDCap Basics for Syringe Services Programs (last updated: August 28, 2024)
This is a short guide for harm reduction programs and syringe service programs (SSPs) considering using REDCap for their data collection and management created by the Supporting Harm Reduction Programs (SHaRP) team at the University of Washington. It reviews basic information about REDCap, strengths and challenges for use with SSPs, and the main ways to access REDCap.
SSP Indicators Implementation Guide
In 2023 and 2024 the SHaRP team worked to create a list of community informed indicators, or data points, that we could recommend SSPs collect. The guidance includes an introduction and webinar recording, project background and methods, detailed information on each indicator divided by topic (supply and service provision, service coverage, service quality, engagement with people who use drugs, overdose prevention, demographics, and structural violence); an implementation checklist, and a brief to funders.
Using Unique Identifiers Within Syringe Services Programs (last updated: March 10, 2023)
This guide is intended for syringe services programs (SSPs) and SSP funders to support their understanding of data collection and monitoring. It provides an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of implementing unique identifiers (UID) as a method of data collection. The guide includes considerations for SSPs considering implementing a UID system and considerations for funders who are considering requiring individual-level data from grant recipients.