Published: 07/28/2026 | Author: Eric Owens

Delaware hospitals have adopted a new statewide framework for treating opioid use disorder in the emergency department. This shift can mean faster access to medication and follow-up care for people who arrive in crisis. 

The direction reflects how many providers have increased attention toward substance misuse. While The First State offers many inpatient programs and local resources like Narcotics Anonymous chapters, many residents continue to succumb to the crisis. Accordingly, the state’s Department of Health and Social Services, through its Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, took proactive steps to coordinate with hospital leaders from across the state to reduce the human toll.

Upgrading Emergency Care

Delaware set up its Overdose System of Care in 2017 to better coordinate emergency medical services, hospitals and community organizations responding to the opioid epidemic. The new guidance builds on that work by standardizing what happens once a patient walks through the emergency department doors, from initial engagement and withdrawal management through medication initiation, discharge planning and warm transitions to inpatient providers.

As a result, the new guidance gives all emergency departments in the state a consistent framework for identifying, treating and connecting patients experiencing opioid withdrawal or overdose to ongoing care. Recommendations originated from the Delaware’s Overdose System of Care after a year of collaboration among emergency physicians, addiction specialists, behavioral health professionals and state officials.

“Every emergency department encounter represents an opportunity to save a life and begin the path to recovery,” noted Joanna Champney, director of Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. 

Dr. Robert Rosenbaum is the state’s EMS and Preparedness Section Medical Director. He described the ER as “the single most important opportunity to intervene after an overdose or during opioid withdrawal.”

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

A central goal of the guidance is supporting timely initiation of medications for opioid use disorder, often shortened to MOUD, which includes medications like buprenorphine and methadone. Accordingly, these meds reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms and lead to lower rates of overdose death compared with no medication treatment. 

Starting MOUD in the emergency department, rather than waiting for a separate appointment scheduled days or weeks later, closes a window where many people at high overdose risk currently fall out of care entirely.

The guide also emphasizes reducing stigma. They do this through using person-centered language to frame drug misuse as a chronic medical condition rather than a moral failing. 

Beyond the hospital setting, Delaware residents have several standing resources for harm reduction and treatment. Patients can access the 24/7 Delaware Hope Line, Bridge Clinics for in-person assessment, the Delaware Treatment Referral Network, naloxone training and mail-order access, and the OpiRescueDE app for a suspected overdose.

NA Meetings Offer Peer Support

Medication and emergency care address the physical and immediate crisis side of opioid use disorder, but ongoing recovery often depends on peer support as well. Narcotics Anonymous meetings, along with other peer recovery groups, give folks a place to stay connected to others in recovery after leaving the emergency department or completing treatment. 

Delaware’s guidance specifically references warm handoffs and peer recovery support as part of the discharge process. The procedure reflects a broader recognition that medical treatment and community support work best together rather than as separate tracks.

NA a Strong Starting Point

For anyone in Delaware, remember that Narcotics Anonymous offers free, confidential and local support from those in your neighborhood. NA often lasts a lifetime, long after any emergency room visit.

Many folks find the process easy to start. Dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak to an expert about resources close by. Or browse our directory of NA chapters anywhere in the country.