Recovery Coaches
In her time as nurse manager of the Emergency Department at Windham Hospital, Meghan Hilliard has seen first-hand the devastation caused by addiction and substance use disorders in her community.
But for all the clinical resources that her department can bring to help revive someone experiencing an alcohol or drug-related overdose, Hilliard and her staff often felt frustrated knowing that the same patient may well return the next day needing the same care.
“Everyone knows this is a serious problem in our community, but there’s only so much front-line emergency room staff can do to address the underlying addiction that leads to overdoses,” Hilliard said. “We can refer a patient to long-term treatment until we’re blue in the face, but we can only hope that they will listen to us.”
That’s why Hilliard was thrilled when the Behavioral Health Network and Natchaug Hospital notified her that they were planning to assign trained recovery coaches to assist substance abuse patients in the emergency departments at Windham and Backus hospitals.
The pilot program is a “defining moment” and in line with Natchaug President Pat Rehmer’s vision of having those with lived experience in substance abuse recovery be more a part of the Behavioral Health Network’s programs – solidifying the safety net for clients. The early data shows it is working, and if that trend continues recovery coaches will be deployed across the Hartford HealthCare system of care.
The experiences that recovery coaches have gone through can be very helpful to individuals who are at the beginning of that journey. They have received extensive training in supporting others who are struggling with substance use disorders, offering insights on their own experiences as a way to provide hope.
Coaches are assigned to respond to overdose and other drug-related emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on an on-call basis. Whenever an overdose patient comes into the ED, front-line staff can contact the recovery coach to have them come in and work directly with the patient after they have received emergency care. It’s an added line of defense in an ED environment that typically focuses on the here and now – not the treatment plan down the road.
“Our goal is for this to eventually be extended to hospitals across the Hartford HealthCare system,” said Patricia Rehmer, who in addition to overseeing Natchaug is president of the Behavioral Health Network. “These are people who can reach patients in ways that most others can’t because their message is so personal and so powerful.”
Recovery coaches are being piloted at both Backus and Windham Hospitals, and early results are positive.