A new program at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip is helping overdose survivors find treatment and fight relapses.

Typically after a patient is treated for an overdose they're sent to find a recovery program on their own, which can be challenging. Good Samaritan and the Family and Children’s Association have teamed up for the SHERPA program. At the hospital is a staff of on-call peer and family recovery coaches that can guide people directly to treatment programs or facilities.

Doctors and counselors say the program is having a huge impact and saving lives.

“This program is designed to get those overdose survivors before they get back onto the street,” says Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, of the Family and Children’s Association. “We’re making sure that we’ve got somebody bedside to say, ‘Look, now might be a great time to make some changes in your life,’ and we can help walk you through the process and bring you to treatment.”

The program started about a month ago and has been busy.