Burlington, Vermont
OPC Services Assessment
In response to an overdose prevention center being authorized in Burlington, a services assessment was produced.
Read the report and the one pagers.
Below you can find the report itself as well as some one pagers that summarize it. References can be found here.
About the report
In response to an overdose prevention center being authorized in Burlington, a services assessment was produced.
The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) was contracted to conduct this work, which began in late July 2025. Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR), the City’s lead partner and future operator of the OPC, has been instrumental in supporting the development of this report.
This effort reflects a collaborative process required as part of the assessment. It included input from a diverse grouping of stakeholders and local organizations through surveys, focus groups, one-on-one conversations, and listening sessions. PIRE also conducted a community survey that received more than 1,500 responses.
A central and intentional component of this assessment was direct engagement with people with living experience. PIRE conducted in-person sessions using an orally administered survey, allowing staff to ask clarifying questions and capture more detailed responses. This approach helped ground the findings in real-world experience.
The report outlines current strengths, gaps, and opportunities across systems. It also includes qualitative insights and community perspectives that provide context to the data, identify areas for further exploration, and inform continued planning.
About PPHC
PPHC assisted with the creation of one pagers and graphics summarizing the needs assessment.
We are a research collective based at the Brown University School of Public Health.
Traditional epidemiological research — so often disconnected from the communities it studies — is insufficient to improve health and affect policy change. Through the People, Place & Health Collective, we aim to tackle this challenge by conducting research that pairs rigorous epidemiological methods with broad, accessible communication to generate measurable and meaningful community impact.
We work directly and collaboratively with members of the community, advocates, state agencies, journalists, and policymakers to achieve that change. Most of this work takes place at the local level, recognizing that where we live influences health and shapes population health outcomes.
