20 Stories of Impact

Dr. Calvin Higgins, Jr. joined the federal Drug Enforcement Administration as a Special Agent in 1991. In 2006, he was assigned by the DEA to its Detroit office. As the DEA and local law enforcement tried to tackle the opioid problem in metropolitan Detroit, he attended meetings with local law enforcement and non-profits. Julie Brenner, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance, was at these meetings.

Dr. Higgins remembers thinking of wanting to do more in addressing the opioid problem. “We were seizing large sums of opioids and arresting a lot of people but deaths due to opioid poisoning were steadily increasing. I concluded that attacking the supply side – my job – would never, by itself, solve our problem. We had to reduce demand, too. As Julie and I talked over the months and years, I came to fully appreciate the extent of the effort people like Julie and the Alliance were making on the demand side. We regularly collaborated and shared ideas. Julie spoke to me about joining the Board to bring a law enforcement perspective to the work the Alliance was doing. I wanted to do more for my community personally, so I accepted her offer.”

Dr. Higgins began serving on the Alliance Board in 2014, rising to the position of Vice Chair. He retired from the DEA in 2018 but remained on the Alliance Board.

Dr. Higgins says, “the Alliance is doing a great job. Substance misuse is not just about the overdose part; there are things that lead up to it. People lacking coping skills for life’s problems, making bad decisions, and not understanding the dangers of the substances they are using. The Alliance makes available a great deal of good programming and is a great resource for people. Education helps to reduce demand and programming, like Save a Life, helps to reduce harm.”

In 2023, Higgins’ other commitments became demanding enough that he decided to step off the Board of the Alliance, however, he still supports the Alliance philanthropically. He believes that giving to the Alliance is an investment that produces a significant return for the community. “Just look at the results,” he says. “In 2022 data showed that fentanyl use was declining in Michigan even though it was increasing nationwide. You can attribute the decline to education, prevention, and recovery programs put on by the Alliance and similar organizations. 

“The Alliance has continued to build programming that is holistic and focuses on living a healthy life, not just substance abuse. The work that is being done continues to expand in scope and is effective. I’m still very invested in the work of the Alliance.”

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Dr. Calvin Higgins, Jr. is in his third year as an Adjunct Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Wayne State University. He is a graduate of Wayne State University where he majored in public policy and earned a PhD and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science. Dr. Higgins also earned a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Tiffin University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from The Ohio State University.