Substance Use Disorders & Overdose Prevention
The Jacobi Emergency Department is a dedicated, compassionate frontline sanctuary for patients battling substance use disorders. Rather than simply treating the acute sequelae of drug toxicities, our department combines an advanced medical framework with extensive psychosocial infrastructure to offer comprehensive, low-barrier addiction care right from the resuscitation bay.
The ED Leads Team: Bedside Psychosocial Support
Our clinical interventions are reinforced by the ED Leads Team—a dedicated, on-site squad of specialized social workers and peer recovery counselors who are fully integrated into our daily ED operations.
Available at the bedside, this team delivers immediate, trauma-informed interventions, including:
- Direct Recovery Support: Providing real-time crisis counseling, motivational interviewing, and immediate navigation into inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation pathways.
- Active Harm Reduction: Delivering critical harm-reduction education directly to patients and families.
- Essential Lifesaving Supplies: Distributing vital, take-home harm-reduction materials, including intramuscular/intranasal Naloxone (Narcan) kits and fentanyl testing strips.
Cutting-Edge Pharmacotherapy Protocols
Led by active departmental faculty champions, Jacobi has established state-of-the-art clinical pathways for the immediate emergency initiation of medical treatments for substance use disorders:
- Opioid Use Disorders: Rapid, frontline initiation of Buprenorphine sublingual pathways for acute withdrawal, precipitated withdrawal, and maintenance.
- Alcohol Use Disorders: Standardized, evidence-based initiation of Naltrexone and Acamprosate directly from the ED to curb cravings and support long-term sobriety.
- Long-Acting Injectables (LAI): Continuous, cutting-edge performance improvement (PI) initiatives expanding our protocols for the administration of long-acting injectable buprenorphine (Sublocade) to bridge the gap for vulnerable patients.
Seamless Continuum of Care
To ensure our patients do not slip through the cracks after discharge, Jacobi actively drives regional care coordination:
- Methadone Clinic Networks: We have established robust, streamlined partnerships with neighborhood methadone clinics, optimizing communication and warm-handoff logistics to ensure uninterrupted medication-assisted treatment (MAT) upon leaving the ED. Jacobi will be establishing its own Methadone clinic in the near future.
The Residency Experience
As an Emergency Medicine resident at Jacobi, you will practice addiction medicine at its highest level, moving far beyond simple stabilization to become an expert provider of low-barrier harm reduction.
As a resident, you will:
- Master multi-modal pharmacotherapy, gaining deep clinical confidence prescribing buprenorphine, acamprosate, and long-acting injectables.
- Work hand-in-hand with peer counselors (ED Leads), learning how to leverage interdisciplinary teams to address the social determinants of health.
- Understand system-level public health integration, managing direct transitions of care from the municipal emergency department to local outpatient networks and community clinics.