430 people in Detroit died from opioid overdoses in 2023, and the Detroit Opioid Quick Response Team has been working hard to reduce the statistics. They’ve only been up and running for about three months now.

On Thursday, members went around making some house calls, checking in on the patients they’ve been working with, including a woman named Carol Bowie, who says she’s been struggling to kick heroin, which she uses to help treat her pain.

“I have a heart condition and kidney failure, but they have come over regularly and checked on me and try to, you know, help me not use anymore, and that’s my main goal,” Bowie said.

It’s been a little over three months since the Quick Response Team got up and running, putting boots on the ground to help those harmed by the scourge of addiction. 

Now they’re talking about the gains they’ve made in the name of saving lives.

“Well, it’s really busy. We’re obviously touching a very vulnerable population,” said Executive Director Linda Davis. “We’ve made over 800 calls during that period of time.” 

They have connected nearly 50 people to help with the number of resources available.

“Either getting them to an in-patient treatment, outpatient treatment, connecting them with a peer recovery coach that’s able to help them navigate recovery within their community, so there’s multiple parts to that,” said Davis.

The team took FOX 2 behind the scenes, showing us how they approach their daily work.

“Our day looks like going to visit our high priorities first – people who came in with an OD, within the last two days,” said Thomas Hunter with the Detroit Opioid Quick Response Team. “And we’ll follow up to see if we can offer them services.”

EMTs say the rapid response operation has been a big help to them given the limited resources they can offer when it comes to major addiction struggles and the frustration of seeing the same patients over and over again on overdose calls.

“We had identified a clear gap, particularly in patients that had an overdose, interacted with EMS and then refused to seek any further care,” said Detroit Medical Director Robert Dunne. “They wouldn’t go to the hospital, and we didn’t really have any other options for those patients, so that was one of the first things that we identified and what we’re doing now is getting this quick response team in front of those patients so they can get cared for.”

It’s that first connection that can lead to long-term change.

“A conversation is the beginning of recovery,” said Davis. “If you can have a positive conversation with someone, they’re willing to listen, that can be the first step to recovery.”

For Carol, she’s well on her way to the right support.

“They help me to get to my doctors on my phone because I didn’t know how to do that,” Bowie said. “They come and check on me all the time, mostly.”

Those on the team say so far, they’ve connected around 50 people with resources to help with their addictions. They prioritize those who have had recent overdoses.

(CBS DETROIT) — As we approach freezing temperatures, some local nonprofits are trying to get people off the streets and into the heat.

“Put your feet underneath there,” Stephanie Taylor said as she helped someone cover themselves with a blanket.

Taylor is Covenant House Michigan’s outreach manager. She travels around the area searching for people battling homelessness. 

“This weather will kill you, you can’t be out here trying to sleep in this weather,” Taylor told CBS News Detroit.

Covenant House typically helps young adults under 24, but as needs grow, it doesn’t turn away others who seek care.

“If you are out here and want to go to a warming center we will be out there to help you,” Taylor said.

Taylor likes to live by the motto ” Helping those who need it.” She knows the streets can be dangerous, and that motivates her to serve. 

She asked one unhoused woman, “You ready to come with me?” 

The woman responded, “No.”

While some aren’t as willing to get out of the cold others are. Stephanie introduced CBS News Detroit to a pregnant teen, she recently helped. The teen had been sleeping in Downtown Detroit at a bus stop.

“I felt scared, and I felt like, what if my body can’t take being in this cold? What if I hurt my child,” Shade Evans said.

According to Evans, she’s now in another facility with stable living conditions. It’s been a few weeks, but now, at seven months pregnant, she’s rebuilding her life.

“Like the only thing you can turn to is drugs or selling your body, or being owned…it feels like there’s no option for you,” she said.

Covenant House sees at least 15 people needing help per day, and those numbers can rise the colder it gets.

“So many struggle with mental health and substance abuse, and a lot of them do not have enough money for rent, and it’s really sad,” Taylor said.

According to the city of Detroit, over 6,000 people experienced homelessness in 2022. With blankets and snacks in tow, the outreach team looks to help

“We need more affordable housing for the young people but we also need to make sure they get good education and getting some training so they can really make a living,” Taylor said.