Data Visualization Summer 2019

Practicum Student, Harm Reduction Data Visualization NEXT Harm Reduction is an online and mail-based harm reduction platform designed to reduce opioid overdose death, prevent injection-related disease transmission, and improve the lives of people who use drugs in the rural and suburban United States. NEXT distributes harm reduction and overdose prevention supplies, provides online education and support, and connects people who use drugs to community-based harm reduction services. Visit nextdistro.org for further information about the organization.

NEXT seeks a practicum student to develop data visualization narratives to illustrate our work to policymakers, funders, and the public. The student will work closely alongside program staff to create data analytics and graphics, prepare program data for spatial analysis, and conduct harm reduction and health policy research to inform data analysis. Distribution data is currently kept via .xls and Flourish, and will soon be migrated to ESRI. Additional research and program implementation opportunities are available based on the interests of the candidate.

Responsibilities  Conceptualize data visualization narratives for educational and fundraising purposes  Develop maps and graphics that illustrate and analyze NEXT’s work and identify gaps in health and harm reduction resources for people who use drugs in the United States  Prepare visual data reports for stakeholders including government agencies and funders  Manage program data for utilization in data visualization tools, and identify additional spatial datasets to layer with program data for advanced analysis  Incorporate state-by-state policy metrics and various health indicators into data visualization tools  Research existing syringe exchange and overdose prevention programs, including underground initiatives, throughout the United States to inform analysis  Student will be expected to work remotely from a personal computer with a weekly meeting in-person at our Flatiron office or by video conference Deliverable:  A comprehensive portfolio of maps and graphics that represents NEXT’s data and relevant health and geographic information for presentation to a range of stakeholders Qualifications:  Candidate for Master’s degree in public health  Strong creative thinking, communication, and collaboration skills  Ability to self-motivate, problem-solve, and work independently  Experience with ArcGIS and Flourish and familiarity with data visualization, particularly at the county-level  Understanding of the sensitive nature of personal data related to drug use and willingness to sign a confidentiality agreement to protect the privacy of NEXT participants Additional Opportunities  Participate in the development of a growing nonprofit, including supporting program design and contributing to funding proposals  Conduct literature review and legal research to inform the expansion of online and mailbased harm reduction and innovative harm reduction programming Email resume and brief letter of interest to Jamie Favaro at jamie@nextdistro.org.

People with personal or family experience with substance use, criminal (in)justice involvement, homelessness, and/or sex work; people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities; and people living with HIV/AIDS and/or hepatitis C are strongly encouraged to apply.