Deputy Mayor Bettison and Commissioner Simms announce Opioid Quick Response Team launch to connect overdose survivors with treatment

430 people in Detroit died from opioid overdose in 2023
Detroit Fire Department first responders administered Naloxone 2,400 times, saving lives
Quick Response Team will connect residents to treatment and harm reduction resources immediately following overdose, which is key to preventing fatalities
Face Addiction Now (FAN) selected to operate city’s Quick Response Team

Today, Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison and Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms joined city leaders to announce the City of Detroit is launching an innovative new program to connect opioid overdose survivors to substance use disorder treatment and other essential resources immediately following emergency medical services care to improve future health outcomes.

The opioid overdose epidemic is an urgent public health crisis that has disproportionately affected the City of Detroit. The epidemic killed 430 people in Detroit in 2023 alone or over 15% of the state’s total. The Detroit Fire Department (DFD) staff are on the frontlines of responding and last year DFD used naloxone (also known as Narcan) - a medication that reverses overdoses – 2,400 times on medical calls, saving the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents. Many of those saved decline transportation to a hospital, and those who are transported often still struggle to get connected to ongoing treatment.

As part of its response to this crisis, and funded by opioid settlement dollars, the City of Detroit is launching the Detroit Quick Response Team (QRT) September 16^th. The team’s role will be to do follow-up visits with people treated by DFD for suspected opioid overdoses. The QRT will assess the individual’s needs and interests and help place them in substance use disorder treatment if they’re willing. The team will also work to remove barriers to other services to reduce their risk of overdose mortality, such as harm reduction services, housing services, food and clothing assistance, employment assistance or other community-based services.

Opioid Quick Response Team pic1 — Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison has spent his entire career in public service and is excited about the Detroit QRT getting to work to provide a continuum of care for overdose patients.

“After EMS treats an overdose emergency, connecting our residents to ongoing substance use treatment is essential as we work to create a healthy, thriving community where everyone feels supported instead of forgotten,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “The Quick Response Team is going to provide this continuation of care and help those willing to start along the path to recovery.”

Beginning September 16^th, when a DFD unit responds to a suspected opioid overdose and completes their treatment, they will inform the patient an outreach team of people in recovery from a substance use disorder will follow up with them to discuss safety and available resources.

Then the QRT will be activated. If the patient declines transport to a hospital, the team will respond to the location of the EMS call within 1-3 hours. If the patient accepts transport to the hospital, the QRT will respond to the patient’s home address within 2-4 days.

Opioid Quick Response Team pic2 — Detroit Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms shared the loss of his brother to addiction and mental illness. He said he looks forward to the addition of the Detroit QRT to provide resources to families to help prevent devastating losses like the one his family endured.

“This exciting new model is going to be a game-changer for our residents,” said Detroit Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms. “DFD personnel are saving the lives of overdose patients every day, but their role ends when emergency care is complete. Our members are looking forward to seeing the results of the Quick Response Team, as our community will surely be more resilient.”

Detroit’s QRT will receive referrals from not only DFD but can also be activated by community partners throughout the city who believe residents are at risk of opioid overdose and could benefit from the intervention of the QRT. For example, homelessness outreach teams funded by the Housing and Revitalization Department will refer residents who may be struggling with substance use to the QRT for visits.

Detroit residents and community organizations can refer someone to the QRT for a visit by using FAN’s Request a Visit form. Residents can also call the Hope Line at 833-202-HOPE from 8 am – 10 pm every day to discuss available substance use treatment and resources.

A promising model, trusted partner

QRTs are a promising model. They are currently operating in other jurisdictions within and outside the State of Michigan, to connect residents living with substance use disorders to treatment and other services to reduce mortality. QRTs typically involve a small team of people with behavioral health expertise; for example, they can include peer recovery coaches, social workers, and other clinical or non-clinical professionals. In one pilot, approximately 50% of patients reached by a QRT were interested in pursuing treatment for their substance use disorder. However, many QRTs have challenges reaching transient patients; Detroit’s QRT model will innovate to address this issue by responding immediately, on-site when a patient declines transport to a hospital.

The City of Detroit sought a trusted community partner to operate our QRT through the issuance of a Request for Proposal, resulting in a two-year, $1.7 million contract with Face Addiction Now (FAN). FAN is a nonprofit agency founded in 2007 originally called Families Against Narcotics. They currently operate 17 Quick Response Teams across the State of Michigan, but the Detroit team will be the first to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Opioid Quick Response Team pic3 — Judge Linda Davis, co-founder of FAN, thanked the City of Detroit for its partnership and commitment to fighting the opioid epidemic.

“At Face Addiction Now, we believe that immediate, compassionate support can make all the difference in someone’s recovery journey,” said Dunya Kilano, Director of Operations at Face Addiction Now. “The Detroit Quick Response Team will be staffed by Detroiters with lived experience who understand the challenges of substance use disorder firsthand. By using harm reduction strategies and meeting people where they are, we aim to reduce the risk of overdose deaths and connect individuals to vital services. This collaboration with the City of Detroit ensures that residents not only receive immediate care, but also long-term recovery support tailored to their needs. Together, we are bridging gaps and delivering life-saving resources, treatment, and hope to our community.”

The team of dedicated Detroiters making up the Detroit QRT will be comprised of peer recovery coaches, community health workers, harm reduction specialists, and other individuals with lived substance use disorder experience.

Opioid Quick Response Team pic4 — Thomas Hunter, Detroit native and Detroit QRT Program Manager for FAN, shared his lived experience fighting addiction and expressed thanks to the City of Detroit for prioritizing this important work.

One step to Detroit’s response

In 2021 and 2022, nationwide settlements were reached to resolve opioids litigation brought by states and local governments against pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies who are said to have fueled the crisis. As a result of these settlements, the City of Detroit will receive $48 million over the next 18 years to reverse, treat and prevent opioid-related overdoses.

The City of Detroit will use these funds to build on our prior efforts to address the opioid crisis, working alongside our partners in the community, to expand substance use disorder prevention, community education, naloxone distribution and training, syringe service programs, and access to high-quality substance use disorder treatment.

The Detroit Health Department, through its Behavioral Health Program, provides substance use disorder prevention education, peer recovery support, Naloxone distribution and training, licensing for syringe service programs and community outreach that includes case management and referral services.

“The Detroit Health Department is committed to promoting mental wellness and removing the stigma associated with substance use disorder. We provide outreach, training and wraparound referrals, going beyond the walls so that all Detroiters have access to resources to help them achieve their personal goals for health and well-being,” said Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair Razo. “The Opioid Quick Response team is a giant step forward, delivering help where and when it is most needed, to Detroiters who are in crisis from substance use disorder. This is a lifeline that will connect Detroiters with support to help them take the first step on their recovery journey.”

However, the city has identified key challenges remaining in helping Detroiters living with substance use disorders get connected into treatment and providing recovery supports like housing to help people in treatment successfully reach long-term recovery. The City will use opioid settlement funds to address these systemic challenges.

The City of Detroit is using settlement funds to:

Reverse overdoses when they happen by making naloxone broadly available for free, including placing naloxone vending machines throughout the community
Get people into substance use treatment, especially after an overdose, through the QRT and adding peer recovery coaches in homelessness shelters for on-site support, and
Help people in treatment successfully reach long-term recovery by expanding the supply and accessibility of recovery housing, which offers a stable and recovery-supportive place to live while in substance use treatment

Opioid Quick Response Team pic5 — City leaders join FAN leadership and the Detroit Quick Response Team to celebrate a successful launch of the program, which will be operated by the nonprofit.