(Watch the video story at this link: https://www.13abc.com/2024/07/11/police-stepping-help-fight-addiction/)
LENAWEE CO., Mich. (WTVG) - Two law enforcement agencies in Michigan are implementing a new program to help people battling addiction. It’s designed to get people the help they need in a safe, supportive environment while also making a positive impact on the community.
Hope Not Handcuffs is an initiative dedicated to changing the stigma behind addiction and letting people know there is still hope.
“We’re here to help,” said Kim Baffo, program director for the Hope Not Handcuffs initiative.
Face Addiction Now, or FAN, is a nonprofit founded in 2007 that was designed to educate communities, get rid of stigma and support people affected by addiction. The nonprofit has taken its goal a step further by implementing Hope Not Handcuffs.
“Hope Not Handcuffs is a way for us to get them into treatment as quickly as we can, those who struggle with substance use disorder,” said Baffo. “We also have family recovery coaches for the family because generally the family is forgotten. All of our services are free.”
FAN has teamed up with 140 police departments across Michigan that offer the Hope Not Handcuffs program since its launch in 2017. The two newest partners are the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office and the Adrian Police Department.
“Myself and Chief Emrick decided that we want to launch Hope Not Handcuffs sooner than later,” said Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier. “So we reached out and said we’re ready to do this and we need to get some momentum here for the Lenawee County chapter of FAN and we want to provide the hope and get people the help that they need.”
Baffo says the organization chose to partner with law enforcement because of the direct connections they have with the community.
“Law enforcement are the first responders. They’re the ones that are going to the scene first and they weren’t schooled on what to do with substance use disorder or mental health,” said Baffo. “So we’re here to help them and our communities as a team. It takes a village. It’s all of us coming together and changing what was.”
Not only is this helping to change “what was”, but it’s helping the community, too.
“If someone’s only issue is their substance abuse and they are in that vicious circle of coming in and getting arrested and going back out and abusing narcotics again or abusing something again and they end up back in our jail, if we can help them with this and they don’t end up back in our jail, that’s, that’s worth it,” said Sheriff Bevier.
The goal of the program is to help those struggling, and their families get the help they need and know that they aren’t alone in their recovery journey.