Guelph hospital announces new peer-to-peer support program

There is a new pilot peer-based support program for those suffering from drug addiction in Guelph.

The Guelph General Hospital is teaming up with Stonehenge Therapeutic Community on a program called Peer2Peer Overdose Program that will be administered in the hospital’s emergency department.

In a news release, the hospital says people who use the emergency department for substance abuse often stay in the hospital longer than those who visit the ER for other ailments. They say the goal of the program is to reduce harm from substance abuse.

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The peer-to-peer support program sees a peer recovery coach, who has experienced substance abuse, take on a patient and walk alongside them as they receive care. The coach will offer emotional support, drug poisoning prevention education, and other local support.

There are similar peer support programs at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener and Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

Funding for the pilot program will run until March 2024 and could be extended if proven to be successful.