*"People caught up in substance use and trying to recover have limited information about the resources available to them. As a peer recovery specialist, you always have resources at your fingertips."

"It's been a blessing to partner with George Mason University. This app is a tremendous idea and something that I can pass on to the individuals I help and teach them how to be self-reliant in a positive way.”"

Daniel Adams, RPRS, CPRS-T
Community Outreach Coordinator
The Chris Atwood Foundation

*Source: Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use

OUR APP

The primary objective of iCONNECT, or Coordinating Opioid Network Needs with Expert Clinical Teams, is two-fold: (i) connect individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) to community resources provided throughout Fairfax-Falls Church County, and (ii) create human connections for both virtual and in-person settings.

In the initial phase, our primary goal was to collect the app requirements and create a simple user experience that encourages peer recovery specialists (PRS) and individuals with SUD to (i) be connected to the right resources at the right time, (ii) in a manner that is easy to use to ensure continued app usage, and (iii) collects information on why and how many navigational “clicks” might cause user abandonment.

We accomplished this goal by conducting a series of survey-guided interviews with PRS and follow-up focus groups to obtain and incorporate feedback on the app design and functionality. Here are just a few sample screenshots of how it looks and what it can do: