Peer support services continue to play a critical role in caring for those with substance use disorder (SUD), particularly when it comes to initiating treatment and maintaining recovery.
The Peer Recovery Coach (PRC) program at Detroit Medical Center (DMC) has been instrumental in guiding people at all walks of life to receive lifesaving treatment for SUD. Through the initiative, coaches use their lived experience and recovery to guide and support others through treatment.
“Countless lives have been changed thanks to our dedicated team of peer recovery coaches,” said Brittany Lavis, CEO, Detroit Medical Center. “This program reflects our unwavering commitment to treating substance use disorder with compassion, urgency and a strong connection to community-based care.”
Research indicates that PRC services are associated with reduced hospitalization and improved adherence to SUD treatment. Over the course of four years, DMC’s PRC program has led to more than 4,500 screenings and 3,900 referrals for admission to residential treatment.
“Before this program, I didn’t know where to turn or how to take the first step toward recovery,” said one program participant. “My peer recovery coach met me with understanding instead of judgment, helped me see that recovery was possible and connected me with the support I needed to keep going.”
DMC teams work with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and Sobriety House to help restore the lives of those struggling with SUD, connecting patients to a wide range of community-based resources. Depending on an individual’s needs, support may include counseling, medication-assisted treatment, sober living, crisis intervention and/or family-centered care.
“I know from my own experience how important it is to feel seen, heard and supported in the early days of recovery,” said Sandy Arnold, a peer recovery coach at DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital renowned for his dedication to patients’ success. “Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do is meet people where they are, walk beside them as they heal and offer the right resources where and when they need it.”
For additional program information, visit DMC’s website. To learn more about how Michigan hospitals are always caring and always advancing, visit mihospitals.org.
