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High Point Health recovery navigator reports growing caseload, distributes ‘Box of Hope’ across Sumner County
Summary
Justin Werlick, the county‑funded recovery navigator based at High Point Health, told the Opioid Abatement Committee he has increased patient contacts since May and helps connect people to treatment, distributes Narcan, and coordinates a ‘Box of Hope’ resource package.
Justin Werlick, the recovery navigator funded by Sumner County and based at High Point Health, briefed the Opioid Abatement Committee on July 16 about his outreach and referral work.
Werlick described a rising caseload and on‑the‑ground activities. "The first month was May. I saw 29. Then last month, it went up to 39," he told the committee, adding that the program had its official rollout the month before and that staff huddles across hospital floors had increased referrals. Werlick said he refers 40 to 50 percent of people he sees to treatment and that the figure has been roughly 40 percent across recent months.
Werlick described program activities that include: distributing Narcan at the hospital; assembling and distributing a "Box of Hope" containing Narcan, county resources, and referral information; serving patients in the emergency department, inpatient units and a women's center; and following up with treatment providers if the client signs a release so the navigator can confirm engagement.
On scope and scheduling, Werlick said he is scheduled Monday–Friday, roughly 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and that case managers and hospital social workers handle referrals outside those hours; he said he follows weekend referrals during the next business week. He also said he had connected with the state recovery navigator to streamline referrals to residential placements and that some area hospitals lack a dedicated navigator position.
Why it matters: committee members and commissioners cited the navigator position as one of the program’s most successful elements and discussed whether the county could sustain the position if opioid settlement revenues decline. Committee members said they would pursue state and hospital support if county funding becomes limited.
Questions raised: commissioners asked whether the "Box of Hope" items are centrally stored or issued only to people Werlick sees; Werlick said the prevention coalition and case managers can also distribute boxes and flyers. Commissioners also asked whether patients must present at the emergency department to be referred; Werlick said he can be contacted directly and has met with at least one person outside the emergency department in a private area to provide resources.
Ending: Committee members praised the navigator's early results and asked staff to continue reporting caseload and referral metrics to the committee as part of grant performance tracking.
