by Tina Cole‑Mullins

August closed with communities across the country pausing to acknowledge the weight of Overdose Awareness—honoring lives lost, lifting up grieving families, and naming the crisis that continues to touch every corner of society. As September opens into Substance Abuse Awareness Month, the focus shifts toward prevention, recovery, and the ongoing work of supporting those still fighting for their lives.

In this season of reflection and renewed commitment, LifeWays, a mental health agency serving Jackson and Hillsdale counties, is participating in a powerful state resource for individuals seeking support along their recovery journey.

The Recovery Incentives Pilot

The Recovery Incentives Pilot program through the state of Michigan (search for the pilot at michigan.gov) is an initiative that provides motivational incentives to people living with a substance use disorder who are able to achieve their treatment goals. The program is designed to help participants stay engaged, motivated, and connected as they work toward sobriety and long‑term stability. Through structured incentives and transportation assistance, with a team dedicated to celebrating progress at every step, the program creates a pathway where people feel encouraged, supported, and perhaps most importantly, seen.

So what is the Recovery Incentives Pilot and why does it matter?

At its heart, this pilot brings a simple but powerful truth into recovery spaces: Encouragement changes outcomes. When someone is working to break free from stimulants or opioids, the brain’s reward system is often out of rhythm. Contingency management—the model behind this pilot—uses small, meaningful incentives to help rebuild that pathway and reinforce healthy choices.

These incentives aren’t extravagant; they’re practical supports like gift cards for food or gas. Each week that a participant provides a negative drug test, the incentive grows. If someone has a positive test or misses an appointment, the incentive resets and begins building again as they re‑engage. The structure isn’t about punishment; it’s about keeping people connected, motivated, and moving forward. The pilot is available across several regions in Michigan, all with one clear goal: make recovery services more accessible, more encouraging, and more effective for the people who need them most.

LifeWays: A local implementation partner

With that foundation in place, I spoke with Kaily Enbody, LPC and lead therapist at LifeWays, one of the agencies assisting the state in implementing the Recovery Incentives Pilot. Enbody offered insight into the local program’s successes and challenges.

“So far, we have had eight participants complete the 24‑week program! There are currently 11 consumers active, two completing within the next month, and many already scheduled to get started.”

These numbers, she explained, reflect sustained engagement—one of the strongest indicators of recovery stability. As with many pilot initiatives, longterm sustainability depends on documented outcomes and continued financial support.

Enbody says, “The program’s continuation is all based on funding. As a pilot location, we are sending in our success stories and how the program is positively impacting our consumers in hopes that we will be able to continue doing contingency management.”

She also shared some of the lessons learned along the way.

“The biggest challenge when starting out was how to advertise that we were offering the Michigan Recovery Incentives Pilot program and transportation options for our consumers. Our PR team at LifeWays has done an amazing job with designing our pamphlets, creating videos/commercials, and spotlighting this program through our social media pages. Along with our PR team, our transportation team has really tried to work with us on offering transportation when available but also assisting with transportation resources in the community as well.”

Outreach and accessibility often determine whether individuals can engage with recovery services. Collaboration between LifeWays’ teams helped remove barriers and ensure the program reached those who needed it most.

“This program is meant to encourage engagement and open the door to other services in the hope that consumers want to continue to invest in their recovery,” Enbody said. “Our team members here are true cheerleaders and anyone wanting to implement a program like this needs to be the cheerleaders for their participants.”

Her advice is simple and powerful: Encouragement matters. Recovery is not just clinical—it’s relational. Communities hoping to adopt similar models must be ready to champion their participants with consistency and compassion.

“People want to be seen,” Enbody said. She added, “No matter where someone is in the stage of change, they deserve the time and resources that could better their lives. The Michigan Recovery Incentives Pilot program opens the door and can really be a way for consumers to stay motivated and feel seen.”

Her closing reflection captures the heart of the program. At its core, recovery is about connection—being recognized, supported, and valued at every stage of change.

Resources

• Recovery Incentives Pilot at LifeWays: Phone: 517‑780‑3332. Email: kaily.enbody@lifewaysmi.org
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Phone: 517‑241‑3740
• State of Michigan Recovery Incentives Pilot email address: MDHHSRecoveryIncentives@michigan.gov

Journalist Tina Cole-Mullins covers a range of topics and issues for Stockbridge Community News, including her Faces of Addiction and mental wellness contributions. A lifelong Dansville resident, she volunteers as a community outreach facilitator, helping ensure individuals and families can access the resources they need.