Tennessee Recovery Navigators

The Navigators are employed by local treatment providers in the areas across the state with the greatest prevalence of overdoses. 

The goal of this program is to break the cycle of overdose and increase the number of individuals who are connected with treatment and recovery services by meeting patients in the emergency department after an overdose.

There are 24 people who serve in this capacity in specific areas of the state.

Navigators are available for patients regardless of their substance of use.  Navigators may also serve patients who present to the emergency department in active withdrawal or with a primary substance abuse disorder based on the practitioner’s discretion.

However, Navigators will prioritize overdose patients where necessary.

The primary patient profile for a patient who should be referred to a Navigator is one who:

(A)    Presents from an overdose, primary substance use disorder, or in active withdrawal.

NOTE – the individual may or may not have received Narcan before or during transport to the Hospital

(B)    Has no additional health complications that would require hospital admission

(C)    Does NOT meet the involuntary psychiatric commitment / crisis criteria, i.e. does NOT reflect suicidality or Conditional Suicidality

Health care providers in the hospital who oversee the patient must gain consent from the patient to talk to a Navigator.  Once that consent is signed, a Release of Information is completed to be able to release that patient to discuss treatment and recovery referrals with the Navigator.