•Characteristics—Staff will prioritize individuals who:
– Exhibit signs of addiction and/or homelessness (e.g. open drug use or purchasing, “nodding,” panhandling, etc.)
–Those already known to the outreach workers to be living with SUD
•Geographical scope—The team should agree upon a radius around the mobile unit’s parking location, the size of which may vary depending on the characteristics of the neighborhood and the size of the team. In general, the team should try to balance these goals:
–Cover as broad an area as possible to increase the number of engagements with PWUD.
–Remain within a reasonable distance of the mobile unit where potential patients may be willing and able to walk to the unit to receive clinical services
Teams may consider dropping off outreach teams at various locations en route to the final parking space, who then meet back at the van, to maximize efficiency and geographic reach
•Staff teams—Outreach teams may split up into teams no smaller than two people to ensure safety. If time permits, it is recommended that the clinician also accompany the outreach team to help build relationships and trust. Teams that are larger than two people can be intimidating when approaching individuals outside.
•Recruiting peers to help with engagement—Outreach teams may recruit PWUD to help the team connect with more PWUD, for instance, by having a person introduce the team to members of their network, or by asking a person to let people in their network know about the services offered. A formalized peer-to-peer program with stipends may be an effective outreach and education strategy.