Overdose Spike Alert | Hennepin County, MN
This resource is a spike alert memo that Hennepin County, Minnesota, sends to its community partners when suspected overdoses rise sharply over a short period. The memo reports overdose counts for a single day, naloxone administration, the areas with the most reported incidents, and how recent totals compare to earlier weeks and months. The underlying numbers come from the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP), a near-real-time overdose reporting system. The memo also points partners to local services and to county and state overdose data dashboards.
How to use it
Use this memo as a model for turning overdose data into a short notice partners can act on the same day. Note how it pairs the numbers with a plain read on recent trends, names the zip codes with the most reported overdoses, and lists local services. Agencies pulling data from ODMAP can adapt the format to send alerts when counts climb, and recipients can use it to decide where to focus naloxone supply and outreach after a spike.
Who might use it
Public health staff, opioid response coordinators, and county or city agencies that monitor overdose data and communicate with community partners will find this most useful. It is also a helpful model for treatment providers, outreach teams, first responders, and community organizations that receive these alerts or want to build a version for their own jurisdiction.