Section of Treatment, Research, and Education in Addiction Medicine

Substance Treatment and Recovery Service (STARS)

The Substance Treatment and Recovery Service (STARS) provides compassionate, evidence-based care for hospitalized patients living with substance use disorders. Our multidisciplinary team delivers holistic, patient-centered addiction management that addresses both the medical and psychosocial dimensions of substance use. By mitigating risk, enhancing motivation, and bridging patients to community and outpatient resources, STARS helps patients begin or continue their recovery journey during hospitalization and beyond. 

Mission

The mission of STARS is to provide exceptional, integrated addiction care within hospital settings by:

• Offering compassionate, individualized interventions that promote safety, dignity, and recovery.
• Partnering with patients, healthcare professionals, and the community to share knowledge about the evolving drug supply and emerging treatment strategies.
• Creating an environment of trust and support for people with addiction throughout their hospital stay.

Vision

STARS strives to advance the field of inpatient addiction medicine by:

• Strengthening partnerships with community providers to ensure seamless transitions of care.
• Developing innovative recovery tools and programs adaptable across different levels of care.
• Expanding services to additional hospital campuses and community-based sites, including telehealth and bridge services.
• Promoting lifelong learning through addiction-related training and professional education.
• Fostering collaboration among multidisciplinary care teams to deliver consistent, high-quality patient care.
• Integrating research and education to inform and improve addiction medicine practices.
• Training the next generation of addiction medicine clinicians, including physicians, advanced practice providers, social workers, and certified recovery specialists.