A new project aims to catch people in the throes of opioid addiction, and offer them a sustainable path to recovery.
Livonia’s Saint Mary Mercy Hospital and eighteen public safety departments in western Wayne County will participate.
They’ll refer candidates to the Rescue Recovery program, for specialized detox treatment, and long-term peer coaching from former addicts.
Brian Spitsbergen came up with the idea to fill in what he calls “huge gaps” people face when looking for help kicking addiction.
He’s with the non-profit group Growth Works.
“Insurance, no insurance, it didn't matter. The beds weren’t readily available, folks didn’t know what to do. And that just ended up being like the biggest piece of why we needed to start to make some systemic change, and try something new.”
Patrick Stropes leads the peer coaching program with Growth Works.
He says this model helped turn his own life around.
“And I was able to stay there and embrace recovery from somebody who walked in my shoes. See, that’s the biggest piece of this.”
The pilot project has a year’s worth of state funding to get up and running.