Page 5 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

The Wayne PD is the 21st department in Michigan to become a FAN/COMEBACK partner. Pictured from left to right are: Mayor John Rhaesa, FAN Peer Recovery Coach
Dede Love, Chief Ryan Strong, Officer Joshua Priebe, Officer Keith Zavitz, Officer Heather Holcomb, FAN Executive Director Linda Davis, Northwest Wayne FAN President
Lauren Rousseau, and Northwest Wayne FAN Secretary Judge Laura Mack.
FAN partners with Wayne Police Department to

launch FAN’S COMEBACK Quick Response Team

By Sarah Shurge FAN started Hope Not Handcuffs their substance use. FAN’S COMEBACK Quick Response
“There isn't another organization with the mission to bring law en- The team will offer resources Team, you can visit
out there that does what we do. Peo- forcement and community organiza- such as: connection to inpatient and comebackqrt.com. For more infor-
ple need help more than ever and tions together in an effort to find outpatient treatment services, peer mation about FAN, you can visit fam-
FAN is a way to get people help,” said treatment options for individuals and family recovery coaching serv- iliesagainstnarcotics.org.
Laura Mack, Secretary of the North- seeking help to reduce substance de- ices, naloxone/harm-reduction serv- If you are interested in getting in-
west Wayne County Chapter of FAN. pendency. ices, referrals to other community volved, either by donating supplies
Families Against Narcotics (FAN) The Wayne Police Department resources, and so much more. for backpacks or bins for Hope Not
has the mission to provide educa- has been a participating agency in “I am proud to continue our part- Handcuff participants, or donating
tion, resources, and support to fam- Hope Not Handcuffs since March nership with Families Against Nar- money, please contact
ilies and individuals impacted by 2021. cotics by implementing the nwwayne@familiesagainstnar-
addiction. More people have come through COMEBACK Quick Response Team cotics.org, or contact the current
Addiction is a disease that the Wayne Police Department for at our department,” said Wayne Po- president Lauren Rousseau at
doesn’t just affect the addicted, it Hope Not Handcuffs than any other lice Chief Ryan Strong. “The QRT rousseau@familiesagainstnar-
also affects the family and friends. location in Wayne County. The Wayne will allow us to get much-needed cotics.org with any questions.
Many times, family members strug- Police Department has embraced the help for those affected by substance Backpacks are placed in bins at
gling with loved ones in active addic- program and promoted it on their abuse. I firmly believe that this pro- every participating police station.
tion tend to feel ashamed and alone. marquee sign, which has brought gram will save lives.” When someone comes through want-
FAN seeks to change the face of people in as well. FAN’s COMEBACK QRT began in ing help from Hope Not Handcuffs,
addiction and end the stigma of ad- During a press conference on February 2020 and now operates out they will be gifted with a backpack.
diction, while educating the commu- Wednesday, February 15th, the of more than 20 law enforcement These backpacks are filled with
nity, as well as those affected by Wayne Police Department announced agencies across the state. The City of personal care items like: toothbrush
addiction by creating positive change its continued partnership with FAN Wayne will be the third police depart- and toothpaste (travel size), sham-
in the treatment of addiction. with the launch of another program: ment in Wayne County to participate poo and conditioner (travel size), de-
The Northwest Wayne County FAN’s COMEBACK Quick Response in the COMEBACK program. odorant, hard candy, granola bars,
FAN chapter was launched in March Team (QRT). The QRT is a three- To date, COMEBACK Quick Re- body wash/soap, face masks, hand
2017. member team consisting of a plain- sponse Teams have made 4,198 sanitizer, bottled water, laminated
The first Monday of every month, clothes police officer, certified peer home visits and offered resources card with local resources such as
FAN puts on forums to spread infor- recovery coach, and family recovery and support to 1,927 families. food pantries, donation centers,
mation and offer a network of sup- coach. This team visits the homes of “I’m thrilled that we’re adding an- AA/NA meetings, etc.
port to those affected by addiction. individuals impacted by substance other Wayne County police depart- You can also donate items that
Experts and guest speakers speak use, who survived a non-fatal drug ment to the program,” said Linda would not fit in the backpacks such
on all aspects of addiction to help overdose, or who have had contact Davis, FAN’s Executive Director. as: sweat pants, sweatshirts, socks
the families. with law enforcement as a result of For more information about the and small blankets.
The Wayne Dispatch · March 2023 · 5