Substance Use Disorder Peer Program

Mission and Goals

In March 2019, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital launched a substance use treatment improvement effort to provide direct care services to patients with opioid and other drug-related conditions. In collaboration with Services for the Underserved (S:US), a community-based organization that provides a range of healthcare, care coordination, and social services to individuals in New York City, the Division of Community and Population Health supported the development of the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Peer Program.

The program embedded peers in the emergency department and inpatient units at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. CARMEN JUAN • Program Lead • caj9033@nyp.org

These efforts are part of NewYorkPresbyterian’s goal to provide progressive and state-of-the-art treatment for this cohort of patients.

The program plan is to offer these services to the Weill Cornell Medical Center campus and other NewYorkPresbyterian network entities. The SUD Peers have worked on-site to identify, engage, link, and provide continuity of care and treatment for patients. Peers have also provided education and briefings to cross-discipline hospital staff on their services in order to spread more awareness of this care model and assist with access to resources.

These efforts are part of NewYorkPresbyterian’s goal to provide progressive and state-of-the-art treatment for this cohort of patients. Patients are kept on a roster for followup and outreach and can be seen not only on-site but also in the community.

Number of People Reached

514

From March 2019 to year’s end, 514 patients were referred to the program. This program reflects the efforts of the hospital to create a pathway of care for these patients.