Table 1.

Key planning questions

Legal and political climate	• What are the legal pathways for opening OPCs, and what are the potential legal risks? • Can OPCs operate consistently with local/state/federal law—and without interference from local/state/federal law enforcement and state regulators? • Is there support for OPCs from key political leaders (e.g., local city, state, and federal legislators), and will these leaders/entities publicly state support? If not, what would provide sufficient assurance that they would not interfere with operations?
Operational readiness	• What factors should providers consider before opening and operating an OPC? What support do providers need from local government? • Are providers’ clinical protocols evidence-based and sufficiently robust to encompass a wide array of potential scenarios for participants served? • Do providers need additional funding to operate an OPC, and where will the funding come from? • What is the plan for evaluating the utilization of OPC services? • To what extent have providers engaged the community where the OPCs will be located?
Community engagement	• Who are the key community members/groups to be engaged? • What information should be shared as part of community engagement, and what is the intended outcome of engagement? • How will community concerns be handled when the OPCs open, including press requests and local opposition? How will misinformation be addressed? • What products are needed to get accurate information out to the public about OPCs? • What does continued engagement look like after implementation, including transparency around data, outcomes, and response to problems that arise on the ground?