When Matt Germoso cold calls someone he knows might be at risk of a drug overdose, he says, “ We won't necessarily lead with, you know, ‘Hey, I’m calling you about substance use.’”

Instead, Germoso, who once struggled with addiction himself and is now a peer recovery advocate at Staten Island University Hospital, will talk about a range of social services he can connect the person with and try to get a sense of what they need.

Germoso’s outreach is part of a novel program known as “ hotspotting ,” which uses a combination of data, artificial intelligence and old-fashioned human connection to home in on and help the people at highest risk of a drug overdose.

Those who work with drug users on Staten Island say the program, which launched in 2022, could be one factor contributing to the

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