Emergency Department Peer Navigator Program Grant

The Emergency Department Peer Navigator Program, funded by the New Jersey Department of Health, aims to tackle opioid-related challenges by embedding peer navigators in emergency departments in Newark, NJ. These navigators, who have lived experience with substance use, facilitate access to care and resources, thereby reducing overdose risks and unnecessary emergency department visits. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance addiction recovery services across the state.

New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)
The New Jersey Department of Health leads the state’s response to public health challenges and works to improve health outcomes for all New Jersey residents. Through its three primary branches—Public Health Services, Health Systems, and Integrated Health—the Department collaborates across programs and partners to strengthen New Jersey’s health system. Guided by its mission to protect public health, promote healthy communities, and improve the quality of health care, the Department supports initiatives that advance prevention, system integration, and equitable access to health services statewide.
To address the challenges associated with opioid related issues, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) Office of Opioid Response and Policy (OORP) is issuing this solicitation to fund an Emergency Department Peer Navigator (EDPN) Program in Newark, NJ. EDPNs have been associated with increased access to care, improved referral to resources, and reduced overdose risks. EDPN programs embed peers with lived experience of substance use disorder and overdose in EDs within communities with high overdose burden. Peer navigators provide nonclinical services, linkage to care, and peer support to increase access to care, reduce overdose deaths, and reduce unnecessary ED utilization. The EDPN program is commonly one part of a broader addiction recovery program which includes emergency department-initiated medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).