From Overdose to Outreach: How New Paths Is Meeting People Where They Are

FLINT, Michigan — Only those with personal experience can relate to the uncertainty felt in vulnerable moments when disease becomes unmanageable. When an opioid overdose leads to a trip to the emergency room or county jail, it is often more than a medical crisis or legal consequence. Sometimes, even lifesaving treatment fails to address the long-term symptoms of addiction. Individuals are discharged to their home environments without the support and resources needed to initiate recovery.

A bold team with New Paths Recovery Center is standing in the gap for those in Michigan battling addiction, providing support in local emergency rooms as well as the Genesee County Jail. Each member of the team is in long-term recovery themselves, emphasizing the shared experience of overcoming substance use disorders.

“My heart’s desire is to reach those still suffering and show that there is hope for a better life in recovery,” said Marie Shepard, a peer recovery coach. “You can rebuild anything that has been destroyed. It may look different, but acceptance is a huge blessing in the process of recovery.”

That work is coordinated through a broader strategy at New Paths.

Troy Ude, Community Programs Manager, reflects on using an approach that incorporates intervention and harm reduction to address rates of substance use disorder. Ude works with team members Darren Munerlyn, Melonie Dieugenio, Marie Shepard, Teresa Davison, Melissa Durham, and Carl Maddox through the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP), which is funded through Region 10 Pre-Paid Inpatient Health Plan. Together, they collaborate with a broad network of institutions to expand access to treatment programs for men and women.

Members of this team are also part of the Genesee County Quick Response Team (QRT), a Greater Flint Health Coalition initiative.

The Opioid Overdose Recovery Program targets harm reduction by expanding access to naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, a risk-free medication used to revive a person experiencing an opioid overdose. Narcan is fast-acting and blocks opioids from binding to receptors in the brain. Those who administer it are protected from personal liability by Good Samaritan laws.

Since 2021, Narcan has contributed to a 39.4% reduction in overdose-related fatalities. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported last year that there were 1,054 fewer opioid-related deaths than in 2023. The OORP team has distributed more than 50,000 naloxone kits in just the last two years.

“I enjoy the work we do in the community,” said Teresa Davison, Care Coordinator. “When people ask questions, we’re able to assist them and help them, and especially reach those who don’t understand what naloxone is.”

The Community Programs team at New Paths has become a staple at fairs, festivals, and events throughout the area, distributing free kits and offering information. For many in Flint, that presence can mean the difference between isolation and recovery.

Those seeking more information about the New Paths Outreach team or interested in supporting its mission should call (810) 233-5340 ext. 164. The Genesee County Quick Response Team warm line is available at (810) 624-1177 for anyone struggling with addiction.