Opioid health homes address physical, emotional, and social barriers to recovery.
The opioid epidemic — the single deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history — affects Michiganders across all races and socioeconomic sectors in both urban and rural communities, from youth to older adults. According to the University of Michigan Opioid Research Institute, opioid overdose deaths have grown tenfold in Michigan since 2000. In 2018, more Michiganders died from drug overdoses than car accidents.

People get their hands on opioids when they are prescribed to relieve pain or by illegally purchasing them on the streets. Thousands of Michiganders live — and die from— with opioid use disorder. Both the disorder and the deaths caused take a harsh toll on families, friends, and communities.

One way the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is addressing the opioid abuse epidemic is through opioid health homes. Not a place to live, these homes are actually a central point of contact where people living with opioid use disorder work with an interdisciplinary provider team to develop an individualized recovery care plan. Peer recovery coaches and community health workers address each patient’s individual health and social needs. Participation is voluntary, and patients can opt out at any time.

Calhoun County residents impacted by opioid abuse disorder find a home with Summit Pointe’s community mental health staff. MI Mental Health recently spoke with three Summit Pointe staff about how opioid health homes are making a difference: Ann Winsor, SUD Systems clinical supervisor, Melanie Dougherty, RN, Opioid Health Home nurse care manager, and Sharon Tschupp, addiction recovery coach.

Summit Pointe is a community mental health agency providing an opioid health home in Calhoun County.

This interview has been condensed for length and clarity.

Q. What is Summit Pointe’s role in the state’s Opioid Health Home program?

Dougherty: Our role is to help the customers access services in order to take care of both their physical and emotional needs, which then allows them to address their recovery and their sobriety.

Q. Who can take part?

Tschupp: Anybody that's coming in struggling with any kind of opiate addiction, seeking help to get off drugs.  

Dougherty: You do have to be enrolled in either Medicaid, Healthy Michigan Plan, or the MIChild plan. You just need to want assistance in your recovery or getting sober.

Q. How does the health home model support the person living with opioid use disorder?

Winsor: It’s a wraparound program. The staff is helping them in lots of different areas of life to support their recovery, because we know it's not just using the substance. They also have housing concerns, social support concerns, food concerns — all of those different types of things.

First Step is Summit Pointe's 24/7 urgent mental health care facility.

Q. What role do peer support specialists play — and why are they important?

Tschupp: Having the lived experience, knowing where they're coming from, peer recovery coaches are able to have that conversation with them so that they know that they're not alone, that, “Hey, I've done it. If I can do it, so can you," instilling that hope, to know that it's possible.

I spend a lot of time meeting with my customers to help them get to the appointments, share my story, let them share their story and their concerns, and help them get into treatment. We talk about where are they trying to start. Medication? Work a program? Counseling? Join IOP (intensive outpatient) groups? We offer a lot of different programs for them to get their lives together.

Dougherty: The peer support and recovery coaches all have life experience and education that allows them to be relatable and knowledgeable as to what programs are out there. If they need help with transportation, food assistance, a place to stay, they can help connect them with those. Once those main barriers are met, then they're able to focus more on their sobriety.

Our peer recovery coaches are really the heart of the program. A lot of times, an individual doesn't know what their supports are in the community. The recovery coaches are really the ones who can open those doors. You don't know what you don't know until somebody tells you. You may not know that there's an intensive outpatient program or ways to go to an inpatient detox, if needed. Our recovery coaches are really the ones who can set people up for success in these programs.

Q. What kinds of social needs does the health home address? Why is that an important piece?

Tschupp: A lot of the people, they're coming from the streets out of their addiction. They don't have any connection with sober friends, sober people. We introduce them to NA or AA meetings, taking them to a meeting and helping them get engaged. The biggest struggle is they've been in the cycle of addiction for so long, that's all they know. Having somebody that's been there and has gotten out of it, teaching them how to find new resources and what is available, that's really crucial.

Winsor: We work together to help them come up with new healthier activities, relationships, places they can go, and people they can connect to.

This MDHHS map shows Michigan counties with opioid health homes highlighted in green.

Calhoun county residents who want to overcome opioid use disorder can take the first step to recovery by visiting Summit Pointe’s 24/7 urgent care, First Step, 175 College Street in Battle Creek or by calling 800-632-5449. Families or friends of folks with OUD can also take that first step to find out how to connect their loved ones with help.

Outside of Calhoun county, the MDHHS provides this list of other counties participating in opioid health homes. Or dial 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for emotional and substance use support 24/7. Another way to decrease opioid overdose is by carrying Naloxone, which reverses overdose and is available for free without a prescription in Michigan.

Estelle Slootmaker spends most workdays as a journalist and book editor. She also writes poetry and has two books underway: her great great grandmother’s memoir of childhood on Mackinac Island and a children's picture book. You can contact her at Estelle.Slootmaker@gmail.com. 

Summit Pointe photos by John Grap
Lead photo Fauxels via Pexels.com
State of Michigan map courtesy MDHHS.

The MI Mental Health series highlights the opportunities that Michigan's children, teens, and adults of all ages have to find the mental health help they need, when and where they need it. It is made possible with funding from the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, Center for Health and Research Transformation, LifeWays, Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, Northern Lakes CMH Authority, OnPoint, Sanilac County CMH, St. Clair County CMH, Summit Pointe, and Washtenaw County CMH.