EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Concerns over heroin and opioid abuse and the debate about government agencies’ use of Narcan have emerged over the past few years, and former Eastern Michigan University student Christine Szabo recently had the opportunity to play a significant role in addressing these issues at the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.

Szabo, 38, began working with the sheriff’s office in September 2014, when she was an intern in its Community Engagement Program under the supervision of EMU alumni Derrick Jackson. In addition to other responsibilities as an undergraduate EMU Social Work student, her goal was to understand how social policies can affect the ways organizations serve people.

Szabo’s first project was a crucial one, carrying significant public importance: She was charged with developing and implementing the office’s policy and procedures to equip officers with Narcan.

Narcan, also known by its chemical name, Naloxone, is a medication used to block the effects of heroin and other opioids in the event of a drug overdose. The medication can be administered intravenously into a person’s bloodstream, injected into a muscle or administered through the nose. 

With the public becoming more aware of heroin and opioid issues, especially the risks of lethal overdose, many have advocated to equip schools, police officers, and emergency personnel with Narcan—a move the EMU police force made several years ago.

“This was the perfect placement for me, and I was very lucky to get it,” Szabo says of her work with the sheriff’s office. “Being exposed to working around law enforcement while combining my social work education was huge.”

Szabo learned about Narcan when she went to her first Opiate Task Force meeting, shortly after starting at the sheriff’s office. As she began to learn more about the drug, she became increasingly motivated to contribute to its implementation.

“This can save a life,” Szabo said. “As I learned about what this would mean for the community, I became focused on contributing toward this positive effort, to give a second chance to individuals who might have otherwise died.”

As part of her placement, Szabo was tasked with researching similar programs in other counties, looking at applicable laws and regulations, and assisting in planning and collaborating with county officials to implement the program. This led to her speaking to the Benzie County Sheriff, who had already implemented the program in his department.

Szabo was able to see her work move from the drawing board through implementation, to positive outcomes. Since Washtenaw County Sheriff’s deputies began carrying Narcan in August 2015, it has been used to save numerous lives.

“I would not have had the opportunity to work on this project if it weren’t for my professors, director Derrick Jackson, and my placement supervisor, professor Barbara Walters,” Szabo says. “The program was structured very well, which allowed me to explore my interest in social work and choose a concentration that was right for me.”

Szabo, who graduated from Eastern with her bachelor's degree in August 2015, first worked at the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County at the Delonis Center, Ann Arbor’s homeless shelter for single adults. There she coordinated the Men’s Rotating Shelter Program and was promoted that year to case management, where she managed non-residential clients while moving them into housing.

She now manages an emergency shelter, Safe Harbor, in Traverse City and also works as a team lead social work at another area shelter, The Goodwill Inn.

“I was interested in seeing what the difference was between urban homelessness and rural homelessness while adding to what I know about assisting individuals through homelessness and addiction,” Szabo says of her latest roles.

Now she carries the lessons from the EMU Social Work Program throughout her professional life.

“I feel strongly that people should feel comfortable relying on each other,” she says. “We won’t get where we are going alone – we all need a hand up.

“I enjoy challenge, I enjoy structure, and EMU provided this for me. I received so much support from fellow classmates, while building great relationships … Overall, I really found myself through my education at Eastern.”