In September 2018, the Lackawanna Recovery Coalition established a “warm handoff” program in cooperation with Geisinger Community Medical Center. The warm handoff program attempts to get people with opioid use disorder into recovery after they have been treated at the hospital for an overdose.
Prior to the patient’s discharge, a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) meets with the patient and attempts to facilitate appropriate treatment in coordination with medical professionals, case managers and/or family members. The patient may choose to decline treatment for OUD, at which point they are discharged with Naloxone, or a prescription for the overdose-reversal drug, along with information about local treatment and recovery resources.
To date, the Coalition-Geisinger CMC partnership has resulted in dozens of people with OUD entering into treatment.
For more information on warm handoff programs, CLICK HERE.
SOURCE: PA Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs