Boston Medical Center Leads Study on Peer Recovery Coaches for Opioid Use Disorder

Boston Medical Center (BMC)’s Grayken Center for Addiction has issued a press release announcing its study on the impact of peer recovery coaches on patients with substance use disorder (SUD), including focusing on providing support to patients and helping them achieve sustained recovery.

BMC’s Project RECOVER (Referral, Engagement, Case management and Overdose preVention Education in Recovery) will bridge a gap in care by linking and engaging people who are injecting opioids in outpatient treatment with medication for a minimum of six months through interventions delivered by trained peer recovery coaches. 

“Peer recovery coaches are increasingly common across the country, but we’re still seeing disparities in treatment, especially among black and Hispanic patient populations,” said Ricardo Cruz, MD, the principal investigator of Project RECOVER and a researcher with the Grayken Center for Addiction at BMC. “This study will serve residents in our local communities who are disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic.”

They even referenced our very own page on Recovery Coach Training: BMC’s peer recovery coaches are certified and have undergone training through the Massachusetts Recovery Coach Academy or a similar program. They are also trained in motivational interviewing and use of naloxone if they are not already experienced.

Read more HERE.