Building Capacity for Social Return on Investment Analysis of Supervised Consumption Services in Saskatoon SK, Canada

Background: Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) are a growing harm reduction support being utilized globally. Canada has been at the forefront of the implementation of these services and has recently significantly increased the number of SCS sites in the country, responding to the drug toxicity crisis. Often, decision makers evaluate these services based on simple cost benefit analysis for supplies and the prevention of harmful health outcomes. The social impacts of these programs on individuals and communities is rarely considered.
Methods: A research team from the University of Saskatchewan is undertaking a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis based on one SCS facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.  Through the analysis of interviews with people who access services (PWAS), host agency staff, external stakeholders, and statistics from the host agency, the team will addresss the impacts of the SCS on individuals and surrounding community. 
Results: Preliminary results from this research suggest multiple layers of impact, beginning with the individual and rippling into the service considerations and supports of surrounding community organizations. Beyond financial cost-savings, SCS services are alleviating the burden on complementary community organizations and social service supports. However, the SCS services may also be eclipsing other services provided by the host organization which interferes with public perceptions of services and generates stigma toward the host agency. SROI is a hopeful means to analyze the impacts of SCS and their impacts on host organizations. The prelilminary results include impacts on health service access, social service access, community safety, and PWAS physical and emotional wellbeing.
Conclusions: Utilizing SROI provides a fuller picture of the impacts SCS have on host agencies, external agencies, alongside community and health system service providers. SROI is a mode of analysis that should be engaged at additional sites in Canada and beyond to assess outcomes relevant to PWAS and additional stakeholders.