PEERS Pilot: Peer Recovery Support Program to Support Engagement in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a peer recovery support program to support patient engagement in medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The program, entitled "Promoting Enhanced Engagement through Recovery Support" (PEERS) was developed in collaboration with community and clinical partners for the MOUD outpatient setting. Information gathered during this pilot study will inform refinements to the program and study components for a future clinical trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of the peer recovery support program in increasing patient retention in MOUD.

The investigators will recruit 12 participants to the pilot study, all of whom will receive the PEERS program. The study will take place in Geisinger outpatient addiction treatment clinics in northeast Pennsylvania. Patients initiating MOUD treatment at one of the clinics will be eligible for participation, and will be recruited via email, patient portal messages, and phone. Each participant will receive the PEERS program, entailing regular sessions with a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) for 6 months. Participants will also be asked to complete assessments at baseline and 12 weeks and will be invited to provide qualitative feedback on their experience with the program through an interview conducted between 8-12 weeks. As the focus of the pilot pertains to the feasibility and acceptability of the program and the study components, study outcomes focus on participant engagement in and acceptance of the program, CRS fidelity to the program, barriers to implementation, and feasibility of data collection.