ED Bridge
With the addition of the ED Bridge program, KYSOS now addresses the full continuum of care for Kentucky patients, treatment of pain and treating those with opioid use disorder (OUD). The newest initiative within KYSOS is the launch of the Emergency Department (ED) Bridge Program. The main objective of the ED Bridge Program is to ensure patients with OUD receive 24/7 access to care. EDs have an incredible opportunity to make OUD treatment accessible to all.
The state has ED Bridge Programs in place, making a difference in the lives of patients and their communities. However, the KYSOS team will continue to expand the ED Bridge Programs into acute care hospital EDs across the state. The KYSOS ED Bridge Program goal is to increase access to treatment and assist patients on their road to recovery, thus saving lives in Kentucky communities.
For more information about the ED Bridge program, contact Emily Henderson and Mary Beth Ecken.
- Provide Low-barrier Treatment
- Ensure buprenorphine is on hospital formulary and readily available for rapid, same-day treatment.
- Assess and remove unnecessary barriers to treatment.
- Connect Patients to Ongoing Care in Community
- Link patients to a Peer Support Specialist (PSS) that will provide support and follow-up.
- Establish connections with at least one clinic or outpatient setting in the community.
- Nurture a Culture of Harm Reduction in ED Department
- Identify a Clinical Champion who will be a key player in program.
- Educate staff on medications for addiction treatment (MAT), treatment protocols, and referrals to community.
- Provide naloxone to all patients upon discharge with history of overdose (OD), risk for OD, or opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnosis
- Collect Data to Measure Success
- Track and report data through KY Quality Counts.
- Generate support to sustain program.
*Adapted from California Bridge*
ED Bridge Resources
| Title | Summary | Categories | Tags | File Type | Link | Date | hf:doc_categories | hf:doc_tags | hf:file_type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KYSOS ED Bridge Webinar: Help the Helper – A Self-Care Discussion | ED Bridge | Webinar | www | December 9, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | ||
| Frequently Asked Questions: Changes in Peer Support Certification | This document was developed in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities, Department of Medicaid Services, and the Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | docx | October 21, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | docx | |||
| A Visual Guide to Peer Support Service Credentialing | Team Kentucky | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | October 21, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| KYSOS Emergency Department Bridge Program Conference Request Form | … | ED Bridge | Forms | October 21, 2025 | ed-bridge | forms | |||
| KYSOS ED Bridge Webinar: Using Recovery Capital in Supporting Recovery | ED Bridge | Webinar | www | September 24, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | ||
| Recovery Capital Worksheets | … | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | September 24, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| Recovery Capital Self-Assessment | … | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | September 24, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| Recovery Maintenance Check-In Form | … | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | September 24, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| MIRC – Multidimensional Inventory of Recovery Capital | … | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | September 24, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| Development and validation of a Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10) for alcohol and drug use disorder | … | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | September 24, 2025 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| Bridge to Care: Advancing Linkage to and Retention in Care Across Health Care Settings for Patients with Opioid and/or Stimulant Use Disorder | This toolkit offers leading practices as a framework for action across inpatient, primary care and pharmacy settings, with toolkits provided for each setting. AHA/HRET has identified both challenges and opportunities and detailed them in alignment with the three focus areas for improving linkage to and retention in care. Note that due to the interconnected nature of OUD and StUD care, information about both conditions will often look similar across settings throughout the … | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient | www | August 12, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient | www | |||
| ED Bridge Encyclopedia of Measures | Treatment Services for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) | ED Bridge | July 1, 2025 | ed-bridge | |||||
| KYSOS Motivational Interviewing Webinar: Part 3 | ED Bridge | Webinar | www | June 17, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | ||
| Peer-to-Peer or Secondary Naloxone Distribution | How can we set up peer-to-peer or secondary naloxone distribution? | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Promotional Materials | June 11, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | promotional-materials | |||
| Quick Response Teams | Quick Response Teams (QRTs) follow up with people who have survived an overdose, offering naloxone and linkage to life-saving community support. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Promotional Materials | June 11, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | promotional-materials | |||
| Naloxone To GO | It’s now easier than ever for hospitals and healthcare organizations to distribute naloxone directly to people that are likely to witness overdose. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Promotional Materials | June 11, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | promotional-materials | |||
| Naloxone Leave Behind | Naloxone Leave Behind is a collaboration between public health and public safety that allows First Responders to leave naloxone on-scene with patients and their support system. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Promotional Materials | June 11, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | promotional-materials | |||
| Naloxone Kiosks | Naloxone kiosks are publicly accessible outdoor boxes that are designed to distribute naloxone anonymously around the clock. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Promotional Materials | June 11, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | promotional-materials | |||
| KDPH Harm Reduction Outreach Services | The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) Harm Reduction Program partners with Local Health Departments and Community-Based Organizations who serve individuals at risk of overdose. These services are provided throughout Kentucky to better meet the needs of individuals at risk of overdose in a variety of ways. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Promotional Materials | June 11, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | promotional-materials | |||
| KYSOS Motivational Interviewing Webinar: Part 2 | ED Bridge | Webinar | www | June 3, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | ||
| KYSOS Motivational Interviewing Webinar: Part 1 | ED Bridge | Webinar | www | May 20, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | ||
| KYSOS Webinar: Taming the Stigma Monster: Addressing the Impact of Long-standing Negative Perceptions of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) on Patient Care and Policy | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient | Webinar | www | May 7, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient | webinar | www | ||
| KYSOS Webinar: Breaking Hearts: The Deadly Link Between Drugs & Endocarditis | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient | Webinar | www | April 23, 2025 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient | webinar | www | ||
| KYSOS ED Bridge Webinar: Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder and the Role of ED Providers | ED Bridge | Webinar | www | February 4, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | ||
| KYSOS ED Bridge Webinar: Recognizing the Impact of Stimulant Use Disorder |
| ED Bridge | Webinar | www | January 14, 2025 | ed-bridge | webinar | www | |
| Measuring Peer Recovery Outcomes Toolkit: Showing the Impact of Peers in Meaningful Ways | In partnership with OMNI Institute, the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence published this toolkit to help guide your program or organization through a values-driven process, resulting in an evaluation plan highlighting the most important aspects of peer recovery support. Information, worksheets, and resources are provided for each phase of the process, which includes identifying program values and related outcomes, choosing evaluation tools, plan implementation, and sustainability strategies. | ED Bridge | Tools | www | September 3, 2024 | ed-bridge | tools | www | |
| Naloxone Distribution Guide for Emergency Department (ED) Bridge Programs | Please refer to this guide when requesting Naloxone as of July 1, 2024. | ED Bridge, Naloxone | June 26, 2024 | ed-bridge naloxone | |||||
| Important Information About Your Opioid Prescription One-Pager | This information is to help you better understand the risks and benefits of taking an opioid medication that is prescribed to you. It may also help you communicate better with your doctor or healthcare provider when discussing your pain management. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient, Patient Resources | June 13, 2024 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient patient-resources | |||||
| Naloxone Administration and Rescue Breathing Reference Cards | Find Naloxone Now KY | ED Bridge, Naloxone | June 5, 2024 | ed-bridge naloxone | |||||
| NIDA Initiating BUP Resources for Prescribers | Includes examples and cases for motivating patients (National Institute on Drug Abuse) | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient, Provider Resources | www | April 9, 2024 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient provider-resources | www | |||
| Addictionary | If we want addiction destigmatized, we need a language that’s unified. The words we use matter. Caution needs to be taken, especially when the disorders concerned are heavily stigmatized as substance use disorders are. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient, Provider Resources | Tools | www | April 9, 2024 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient provider-resources | tools | www | |
| Find Naloxone Now KY | The Kentucky Department for Public Health Harm Reduction Program is excited to announce the launch of Find Naloxone Now KY, a statewide naloxone access portal and locator map that connects Kentuckians to 136 locations where naloxone is available locally and free of charge. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | Website | aspx | March 18, 2024 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | website | aspx | |
| Find Recovery Housing Now KY | Kentucky Recovery Housing Network | ED Bridge | Website | www | March 7, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | www | |
| Opioid Overdose Recognition and Response: A Guide for Communities and Bystanders | Naloxone educational how-to and informational guide from the Department of Public Health | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Naloxone, Outpatient | February 2, 2024 | ed-bridge inpatient naloxone outpatient | |||||
| Opioid Overdose Recognition | Kentucky Public Health | ED Bridge | February 1, 2024 | ed-bridge | |||||
| Opioid Overdose Risk Reduction | Kentucky Public Health | ED Bridge | February 1, 2024 | ed-bridge | |||||
| Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment in the Emergency Department | National Institute on Drug Abuse | ED Bridge | Tools | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | tools | www | |
| Naloxone Training Video | ED Bridge, Naloxone | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge naloxone | www | ||||
| Findhelpnowky.org | Enables patients and family members to find information about available substance use disorder treatment options in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. | ED Bridge, Inpatient, Outpatient, Patient Resources | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge inpatient outpatient patient-resources | website | www | |
| Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder | Assess OUD, opioid withdrawal, and treatment readiness for ED-initiated buprenorphine | ED Bridge | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | www | |
| Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) | Quantifies severity of opiate withdrawal | ED Bridge | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | www | |
| ED-Initiated Buprenorphine | Yale School of Medicine | ED Bridge | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | www | |
| Emergency Department Buprenorphine Treatment: A Toolkit for North Carolina Hospitals | North Carolina Healthcare Association | ED Bridge | Tools, Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | tools website | www | |
| California Bridge: Bridge to Treatment | Transforming Addiction Treatment Through 24/7 Access in Emergency Departments | ED Bridge | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | www | |
| Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition | The Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition improves the public health of Kentuckians by reducing overdoses, overdose deaths, and the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and HCV. | ED Bridge | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | www | |
| SAMHSA Help and Treatment Resources | Find help and treatment | ED Bridge, Patient Resources | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge patient-resources | website | www | |
| UNSHAME Kentucky | UNSHAME Kentucky is a public health campaign aimed to reduce the addiction-related stigma held by Kentuckians across the state. | ED Bridge, Opioid Use Stigma | Website | www | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge opioid-use-stigma | website | www | |
| Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE) | Cabinet for Health and Family Services | ED Bridge | Website | aspx | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge | website | aspx | |
| Naloxone and Syringe Exchange Locations | Team Kentucky | ED Bridge, Harm Reduction, Patient Resources | Website | aspx | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge harm-reduction patient-resources | website | aspx | |
| Prescription Drug Disposal Locations | Find a Prescription Drug Disposal Location | ED Bridge, Harm Reduction, Patient Resources | Website | aspx | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge harm-reduction patient-resources | website | aspx | |
| Hiring a Peer Support Specialist in Your Emergency Department | The Peer Support Specialist (PSS) plays an integral role in the ED Bridge Program. The success of the program will be dependent upon the PSS as well as the other members of the multi-disciplinary team. | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | January 31, 2024 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | |||||
| Naloxone: Tips for Prescribers and Pharmacists | Recommendations, Key Points of Patient Education, Naloxone Products for Bystander Use, Pharmacist-Initiated Dispensing of Naloxone, Talking About Naloxone | ED Bridge, Naloxone | Guidelines | January 9, 2024 | ed-bridge naloxone | guidelines | |||
| Kentucky Naloxone Copay Program Card | KORE | ED Bridge, Naloxone, Outpatient | January 9, 2024 | ed-bridge naloxone outpatient | |||||
| Kentucky Naloxone Copay Program Flyer | Guide for Prescribers and Pharmacists | ED Bridge, Naloxone | Promotional Materials | January 9, 2024 | ed-bridge naloxone | promotional-materials | |||
| Incorporating Peer Support Into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services | SAMSHA TIP 64 | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | Guidelines | October 26, 2023 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | guidelines | |||
| Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Linkage and Retention Recovery Coach Training Manual | HEALing Communities Study KY and Voices of Hope Lexington | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | Reports | October 1, 2023 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | reports | |||
| KAR PSS Regulations | 908 KAR 2:220. Adult peer support specialist. | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | Regulations | May 2, 2023 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist | regulations | |||
| Kentucky Board of Pharmacy: 201 KAR 2:360 Naloxone dispensing | Proposed Amendment | ED Bridge, Naloxone | September 14, 2022 | ed-bridge naloxone | |||||
| Peer Support Services in Crisis Care (SAMSHA Advisory) | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration | ED Bridge, Peer Support Specialist | June 1, 2022 | ed-bridge peer-support-specialist |