Center of Excellence

The Center of Excellence program was initiated by Governor Wolf in 2016 as a response to the opioid epidemic that has ravaged our state and our country. The main purpose of this program is to connect individuals to treatment, whether that be inpatient, outpatient, and/or Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). It has been recommended by state guidelines that a client is met, wherever they may be, within 24 hours of the initial referral. Hence, making the Center of Excellence team of Care Managers and Certified Recovery Specialists community based.   Our team meets clients at their homes, hospitals, prisons, and inpatient facilities. The program is set up as a “hub and spoke” model, making the Center of Excellence the “hub”. Care managers within this program will provide referrals to link these clients to mental health, physical health, prenatal care and pain management to site a few examples of the “spokes”. Our Center of Excellence team has advocated for our clients with their probation officers, Children and Youth case managers, and at court hearings.

Over the past several years, COGI is proud to report many successes within this program. Clients have been given opportunities that has never been available before this program has been created. We are currently a staff of three Community Based Care Managers and a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS). The Care Managers are at the front lines of the crisis, meeting clients where they are and getting them the help they so desperately need. When clients are referred to an inpatient facility, our team has them connected and admitted, in most cases, within 24 hours. While the clients are in treatment, our team will visit these clients at the facility and connect them to aftercare services before they are discharged from inpatient. While in treatment, many of our clients have also been connected to CRS services as well. The CRS plays a vital role in early recovery with our clients. The CRS has a personal experience with recovery that will provide hope and direction to our clients with limited recovery experience. The CRS has helped our clients build a foundation in early recovery assisting clients with getting ID’s, birth certificates and attending self help groups such as Narcotic Anonymous. Clients are also assisted with housing and employment opportunities.

The Center of Excellence designation was granted to 45 facilities throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2016. COGI is the only facility in Schuylkill County with the Center of Excellence designation. We are considered a one stop shop that provides Intensive Outpatient, Outpatient, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services. This program has operated parallel to other programs at COGI. The Center of Excellence team has worked with our Prison Vivitrol Program team by assisting clients when they are released from prison with a Vivitrol injection.