Removing Barriers to Recovery: Community Partnering for Innovative Solutions to the Opioid Crisis

The Removing Barriers Program provides free online legal services to people in early recovery from opioid use disorder. Services are provided face-to-face directly to patients in treatment centers using a hybrid approach (in-person support with efficient, free online resolution without lawyers). The program can be used to resolve various legal issues in multiple Michigan districts, including bench warrants (selected per Michigan Compiled Laws), child support arrears and visitation requests, felony child support warrants, fines/fees, license suspensions, failure-to-appear warrants, traffic tickets, scheduling court dates, and more. The program is operated by teams within U-M, along with partners Dawn Farm Community of Programs, Home of New Vision, and the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan (CMHPSM). Additional partners of the program include drug courts, sobriety courts, district courts in Michigan, Friend of the Court (Michigan Child Support Enforcement), and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.

Additional Information

What Happens When a Pandemic Intersects With an Epidemic? (Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco)

Tackling poverty by repairing a broken american institution with technology

Way Forward: Removing barriers to recovery from the grip of drug addiction

ODR and Recovery Video: Court, Community, and Tech Partners Remove Barriers to Recovery with ODR