Rural Health Redesign Center Organization, Inc.

The Peer Recovery Expansion Project (PREP) is a collaboration of sixteen consortium members aimed at improving access to and quality of treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and other behavioral health conditions in HRSA designated rural service areas across five Pennsylvania counties. Through partnering hospitals with Single County Authorities and subject matter experts, PREP aims to develop a standardized approach to utilization and integration of Peer Recovery Specialists, cross-trained in behavioral health, and Case Managers in hospital emergency departments for patients that may need SUD and behavioral health services. Modelled after the Addiction Recovery Mobile Outreach Team (ARMOT) program, which has been successful in western PA, hospital staff will refer SUD patients to PREP teams who will conduct level of care assessments, provide referrals and linkages to treatment providers and support services, and serve as recovery navigators to patients and family members before, during, and after treatment to bridge the gap often experienced after discharge from the hospital.