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SKOWHEGAN — In October, Redington-Fairview General Hospital (RFGH) passed a policy whereby providers can offer a peer recovery coach referral to patients with a substance use or opioid use disorder. Recovery coaches can provide additional support to patients who are being treated for an acute medical need in the hospital setting.
Kennebec Behavioral Health (KBH), which implements the recovery coach program, provides the following description of their coaches: A recovery coach is anyone interested in promoting recovery by removing barriers and obstacles and serving as a personal guide and mentor for people seeking or in established recovery. A recovery coach is a leader, mentor, partner, and cheerleader, helping people build a meaningful and enjoyable life. Recovery coaches may be in recovery or a recovery ally.
This new policy ensures that every patient admitted to RFGH has the same low-barrier, rapid access to a volunteer peer recovery coach from KBH. It also helps every provider at RFGH connect individuals to these sources of information and support.
Cynthia Currier, patient navigator for substance use disorders from Somerset Public Health, said that the policy is “an incredible step in the right direction toward integrated care and community connection for people experiencing a substance use disorder.” She further observed that “there are providers at RFGH who have been champions for substance use disorder care for a long time. This policy puts into writing what these champions have been practicing and modeling for years.”
RFGH and KBH are members of the Pathways to Recovery Consortium, working to improve access to substance use disorder care across Somerset County.
