Chelsea Gibson did not arrive at behavioral health work from a distance. The founder of NewLife Wellness, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Services in Taylor, Michigan, has lived the gap she is now trying to close. She holds a background in psychology, owns a licensed childcare facility in Livonia, and runs an outpatient clinic that provides substance use treatment, court-ordered counseling, and mental health services to individuals and families across Southeast Michigan. Her path to this work was not strictly professional.
A personal turning point
Gibson started NewLife Wellness after her own experience with addiction made clear what the existing system was missing. “I once had an addiction myself, and I did not realize it until month four,” she said. “I could not find the resources or support that I really needed. Even though I had a great support system, I still felt like I did not have that accountability.”
After working through her recovery, she set out to build something for people who do not have the foundation she eventually found. “I wanted to create a program for individuals who do not have that support system,” she said.
What accountability at NewLife Wellness looks like
The word Gibson returns to most is accountability. She believes it is the piece most recovery programs skip over, and the absence of it is why people cycle back through the same behaviors. “Education alone is not always enough,” she said. “People often repeat the same thing because they do not have a structured, organized program, or accountability partners, or a mentor who is actively listening and actively engaging with you.”
At NewLife Wellness, that engagement takes a specific shape. Clients are not placed in front of screens. Instead, the clinic offers yoga, crafting, gardening, group therapy, and community service activities. “We are actually engaging with our individuals,” Gibson said. “We are using our hands, we are using our minds, we are taking the focus off the issue and putting it back onto ourselves.”
The clinic is staffed with a licensed clinical social worker, a certified substance abuse technician, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner who handles medication management when needed.
Reaching communities across Southeast Michigan
Gibson is direct about the scale of the problem in her region. “Southeast Michigan is one of the largest areas with an addiction or opioid epidemic,” she said. “I have not seen anyone really reaching out to that community.”
NewLife Wellness has been working to change that. The clinic has reached out to courts, churches, Salvation Armies, and women’s shelters across the region. For those who cannot get to the Taylor location, the clinic is building out transportation services. “When you call and say you are interested but do not have a way to get there, please do not feel embarrassed, because we will be out there to get you,” Gibson said.
Her message to anyone on the fence about seeking help is straightforward. “There is no pressure, there is no one making you do anything,” she said. “But if we understand that there is an issue, we have to get the help we need.”
Gibson’s goal is not to sell a service. It is to make sure the people who need structure and support know that it exists and that someone is paying attention. “We do care,” she said. “Someone loves you. If no one tells you that, we are here.”
NewLife Wellness is located at 25524 Goddard Road in Taylor, Michigan. The clinic can be reached by phone at 800-626-1278 or online at www.yournewlifewellness.com.