Westchester-Ellenville Hospital
Project Summary
This project will allow a consortium serving five counties in New York State, to implement an innovative protocol for hospitals, emergency medical services, providers of medication assisted treatment, and other treatment and recovery providers, to collaboratively engage patients with opioid overdose immediately and intensively, through treatment and recovery. Partners have agreed upon a strategy that includes emergency medical responders transporting all patients who are treated for overdose to the emergency department where health care professionals will provide brief intervention and offer to administer buprenorphine for up to three days, with an in person linkage to a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) embedded within the hospital. Intensive psychosocial support, short-term counseling and links to needed community based care will be provided during this period, to connect patients to appropriate treatment and long-term recovery opportunities. The project will additionally work to reduce stigma through training, and expand harm reduction resources such as safer use supplies, medication collection and disposal education, naloxone accessibility, and recovery supports such as peer services and support groups. Finally, as detailed in the table, this proposal includes the creation of 3 warming centers to better serve the target population of individuals without homes.