Weekly Update August 16, 2024
IMPORTANT UPDATE!
Annual Walk-A-Mile Event to take place September 17, 2024
The date for this event was moved from Thursday, September 12th, 2024 to Tuesday, September 17th, 2024
The 2024 INFORMATION PACKET is now available! Click here to download!
Each year, we draw more than 2,000 advocates from across Michigan to the Capitol Building to support public behavioral healthcare. This rally aims to highlight the need for increased funding for mental health services, raises awareness of behavioral health needs in health and policy discussions and works to banish behavioral health stigmas. There are more than 300,000 citizens in Michigan who seek behavioral health services. Join us as we rally together on the Capitol Lawn for increased mental health funding and the need for behavioral health to be continually included in policy discussions.
Why We Rally…
To enhance public awareness, because legislators need to know that Mental Health Matters.
To promote mental health and wellness, because we can make a difference!
To put an end to the stigma related to mental illness and developmental disabilities, because Michigan does not have parity (equality) between mental health and physical health care coverage.
Work of Sanilac CMH and OnPoint highlighted in latest stories in partnership with Issue Media Group
The latest news story highlighting the innovation and successes of Michigan’s public mental health system, is made possible by the partnership of CMHA, a number of its members, and the Issue Media Group (IMG). This story, CCBHCs extend mental health care to more Michiganders despite challenges highlights the innovative work being done at Sanilac CMH and OnPoint (Allegan CMH).
This story, along with the growing list of solutions journalism stories centered around the work of Michigan’s public mental health system, can be found at: https://cmham.org/newsroom/
This partnership, with the Issue Media Group (IMG), is built around the concept of “solutions journalism” – providing news about innovative and concrete ways that communities, across Michigan, are addressing the needs of their residents along a number of dimensions – healthcare, economic development, education, the arts, to name a few. Solutions journalism investigates and explains, in a critical and clear-eyed way, how people try to solve widely shared problems. While news sources and many of us typically define news as “what’s gone wrong,” solutions journalism runs counter to that definition by covering the innovative responses to identified needs and problems.
This partnership ensures that the work of Michigan’s public mental health system is highlighted in IMG’s large suite of solutions journalism-focused publications.
If your organization would like to be a part of this effort, via the purchase of a partnership share and the active participation in the generation of stories for these local and statewide electronic newspapers, contact Bob Sheehan at rsheehan@cmham.org or Paul Schutt at paul@issuemediagroup.com
You can subscribe, at no cost, to these publications, on the websites of each of these publications. The list of partner publications and their websites are provided below:
Second Wave -Southwest Michigan
Look for more articles like this over the coming year.
Macomb County officials oppose state effort to reduce mental reserve fund
A recent news story described the efforts of Macomb County officials to oppose an attempt by the state of Michigan to revise its contract with the county’s Community Mental Health agency that could cost the agency millions of dollars by limiting the amount CMH can hold in reserves from its Medicaid income, including reaching back and seizing funds from prior years. The full article can be found here.
OCHN received award for workplace mental health
Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) has been awarded Mental Health America’s (MHA) 2024 Platinum Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health.
The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a national certification program that recognizes employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces. Led by MHA’s rich history in research and advocacy, the Bell Seal’s holistic evaluation of employer practices considers the entire employee experience. Those awarded the Bell Seal have policies and practices in place that support employee’s overall wellness. To learn more about MHA’s Bell Seal, click here.
In 2024, 271 eligible employers, including OCHN, completed a 54-criteria application, evaluating internal policies and practices impacting workers’ well-being, including culture, benefits, compliance, and wellness programs. Only two in five employers are eligible for Bell Seal certification. To view the 2024 Bell Seal Workplace Mental Health Outcomes Report, click here.
OCHN acknowledges that workplaces influence employee mental health and well-being, and they strive to promote organizational practices to address those mental health needs, including strategies that focus on improvement in workplace culture.
The 2024 Bell Seal Workplace Mental Health outcomes showed that worker-led resource groups serve as safe, connected spaces to relate with other peers and receive support. OCHN hosts an employee lead positive work experience workgroup and employs policies that address suicide prevention and secondary trauma for staff members to promote a safe and supportive culture. OCHN’s inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) workgroup offers learning opportunities for staff and ensures that an inclusive and equitable culture is fostered. Additionally, OCHN offers trainings to all staff that promote fair management practices, professional growth, and overall well-being.
Redesign of ‘Weekly Update’ Newsletter
As you might have already noticed, the publication of our newsletter will look a little different. We are delighted to introduce a newly designed version of our weekly update email! We’ve revamped our newsletters to make them more user-friendly and accessible. Get the latest news, insights, and updates to our public mental health system with even greater clarity and ease.
With this improved layout, you’ll find it simpler to search for keywords** and to navigate through each publication chronologically. One specific item to note, the creation of these newsletters are now solely constructed and published on the CMHA website. The email blast will now be condensed to only include article titles and a teaser sentence. Each article in the email is linked to the publication on our website where the entire document can be viewed in full. Once on this page, to access the months previous articles, simple follow the linked path located under the main navigation bar.
The Weekly Update home page now includes collapsible headers. To quickly see the previous week’s update just click on that week’s date. To the right, you will see an Archives column that will include all previous month’s editions.
Our goal is to enhance your reading experience while keeping you better informed and making it easier for you to access necessary information and resources. We’re excited for you to experience these enhancements and hope they make your weekly updates more engaging and informative.
**To search for text within a webpage use the “Control Find” keyboard shortcut. Press and hold Ctrl+F on your keyboard to open a search bar.
Connections
Connections purpose is to be an avenue for the exchange of information that includes people’s dreams, stories, concerns and successes. Its intent is to connect us all – the individuals who sit around the board room table, our customers, our administrators, caregivers, and our partners in the communities in which we live.
Recipient Rights Booklets
The Mental Health Code states that Community Mental Health Service Providers are required to distribute Recipient Rights Booklets to each recipient receiving services. To place an order with CMHA please visit our websites bookstore page.
‘BoardWorks’ Videos Online
The CMHA BoardWorks program was developed to assist Board members in fulfilling their obligations as CMH leaders, directors of policy, and advocates for those they serve.
State & Federal Developments
MDHHS issues FAQ on MichiCANS
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document around the impending kick-off of the of the MichiCANS screening and assessment tool. The FAQ document can be found here. The cover memo for the FAQ can be found here.
Media coverage of opioid settlement dollars
Bridge magazine recently carried two pieces that provide context for Michigan’s approach to the state’s opioid crisis and the use of the opioid settlement dollars in that work. The first is an editorial on the value of a well paced and planned approach to spending those settlement dollars. This editorial can be found here. The second is a discussion of the factors behind the pace of spending by local and state governments. The full article can be found here.
CDC Resource Guide: Best Practices for Effective Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Services
The CDC recently issued a resource guide on best practices in preventing and treating adolescent substance use disorders. Below is an excerpt from that resource guide:
Initiation of substance use often occurs during adolescence, with adolescents reporting using substances to feel good, get high, relieve pain or aid with sleep problems. This resource offers guidance and evidence-based best practices tailored for adolescents struggling with substance use disorders, emphasizing a holistic approach to provide caregivers and providers with tools to support youth through recovery.
MDHHS announces job opening for Universal Credentialing and EQR
MDHHS has asked that CMHA spread the word regarding a recently posted position: Departmental Specialist 14 BPHASA Quality Behavioral and Compliance Specialist. Details on the position can be found here.
Primary Elections Recap
Michigan’s 2024 primary election has come and gone with only a few surprises (as there always are), but the results largely mirrored the early speculation from pundits. The stage is now set for the general election which will be held on November 5.
Taking a deeper look into yesterday’s election, incumbents fared well overall, with most moving onto the general election. Candidates emerging victorious in safe Democratic or Republican districts have all but guaranteed their ticket to the State House in January, while others had to sweat out a competitive primary and must continue the grind into the general. We also have insight into high-profile Congressional and state House races that will undoubtably impact majority and control of chambers in the next Legislative term, both at the state and federal level.
U.S. Senate Race:
This race went as many predicted, with U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin and former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers easily securing their respective partisan primary election. Slotkin ousted Hill Harper in the Democratic primary with general ease, securing 76.7% of the vote. Rogers also had a stress-free evening receiving 63.3% of the GOP vote. Rogers defeated former U.S. Representative Justin Amash and Sherry O’Donnell who received 15.6% and 12.1% of the vote, respectively.
Slotkin and Rogers now face off in an extremely high-profile race this fall. Expect to see non-stop campaign ads from both candidates and an outrageous amount of money spent on this open U.S. Senate seat.
CONGRESSIONAL RACES:
Most highlighted four Congressional races to watch: the 3rd, 8th, 10th and 13th Congressional districts. These four were the most notable primary elections, while the other nine Congressional primaries saw no surprises.
- In the 3rd Congressional district, Republican Paul Hudson emerged victorious over Michael Markey with 54.5% of the vote. Hudson now will face U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten in the general this fall.
- In the 8th Congressional district, State Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet won the Democratic primary and Paul Junge won the Republican primary. Senator McDonald Rivet secured 53.4% of the vote, while Junge enjoyed an even wider margin of victory, winning with approximately 74.8% of the vote.
- In the 10th Congressional district, Carl Marlinga won the crowded Democratic primary election with 49.1% of the vote. Marlinga will face U.S. Representative John James in a rematch that saw James narrowly defeat Marlinga last election.
- The 13th Congressional district was the most anticipated of the evening as observers wondered if incumbent U.S. Representative Shri Thanedar would be ousted in the Democratic primary. Representative Thanedar flexed that incumbent muscle (and his personal wealth) and won by a significant margin. Thanedar secured 54.5% of the vote, compared to Mary Waters 34.2%. Third place finisher, Shakira Hawkins took 11.3% of the vote. Thanedar will easily return to Congress in 2025.
STATE HOUSE RACES:
State House elections always create an opportunity to for surprises. We highlighted 21 state House races in the pre-election report. Below are the 21 races, plus a couple others we thought were interesting and newsworthy.
- 3rd House District: this is one race we didn’t highlight or expect to be close in the Democratic primary election. Representative Alabas Farhat narrowly won the primary against Ziad Abdulmalik. Farhat received approximately 49.2% of the vote to Abdulmalik’s 40.1%. However, low voter turnout meant Farhat won by just a few hundred votes. This race will go down as one of the top storylines of last night that had some people sweating it out.
- 5th House District: we predicted this race would be a little closer than Representative Regina Weiss would like because of a crowded primary. However, Weiss garnered 48.6% of the vote to win the Democratic primary and should easily win in November, returning for her third term.
- 7th House District: this open seat is as safe as it gets for Democrats, so the primary election was highly contested with numerous candidates taking a run at it. In the end, Tonya Myers Phillips emerged with a victory, winning by a landslide with 67.3% of the vote. She’ll easily win in November and soon have “Representative” added to her title.
- 13th House District: this one did not go as everyone in Lansing expected. Pundits, pollsters and boots on the ground all said the Democratic primary in the 13th House District would be close and possibly a toss-up. Representative Mai Xiong quieted the naysayers with a commanding win, taking 71.4% of the vote. Her closest opponent, former Representative Richard Steenland received 19.1%.
- 14th House District: Much like his colleague in the 13th, Representative Mike McFall crushed his opponent, despite many Lansing insiders predicting a tight race. McFall secured 71.1% of the vote compared to Jim Fouts 28.9%.
- 22nd House District: the race between Adam Stathakis and Christian Charette was noteworthy because the winner of the Republican primary will take on incumbent Representative Matt Koleszar in a competitive district. Stathakis won, garnering 73% of the vote to Charette’s 27%, and will face the tough challenge in November of trying to oust Koleszar.
- 25th House District: Representative Peter Herzberg had to defend his seat for the first time since winning a special election earlier this year. Herzberg thwarted off four primary challengers in the Democratic primary and won with 53.5% in this safe Democratic seat.
- 27th House District: the 27th House District is a true 50/50 seat. Democratic Representative Jamie Churches holds the seat currently, but three Republicans were running in their respective primary for a shot to take on Churches in November. Rylee Linting ended up winning with 71.5% of the vote. Cody Dill came in second with 20.5% and Maria Mendoza-Boc’s trailed with 8%.
- 33rd House District: this race had rumors of being extremely close going into election day, but ended up being a comfortable win for Morgan Foreman, who received 66.9% of the vote compared to Rima Mohammad’s 33.1%. Given this is a safe Democratic seat, Foreman has a smooth path to becoming a Representative in November.
- 35th House District: this district is based around Hillsdale County, which is known for being one of the most conservative regions in Michigan. In a competitive three-way Republican primary with an open seat, we knew anything could happen. Jennifer Wortz ended up securing the victory with 52% of the vote. Adam Stockford’s received 29.9% and Tom Matthew received 18.1%.
- 40th House District: Democrats should be happy with the result since Matt Longjohn won the Democratic primary with 70.4% of the vote. Lisa Brayton received 29.6% of the vote. Longjohn hopes to replace Representative Christine Morse who is not seeking reelection.
- 50th House District: it took a minute, but we have our first upset. Incumbent Representative Bob Bezotte was defeated in the Republican primary by Jason Woolford. It was a crowded four-way primary where Bezotte originally opted to not run, then did but was initially disqualified. Eventually he was allowed on the ballot. Amid all the craziness in this seat, Woolford secured 33.6% of the vote to Bezotte’s 30.2%, winning by a few hundred votes. Dominic Restuccia stayed competitive in the race and ended with 22.3% of the vote, while Kristina Lyke received 13.8%.
- 55th House District: it feels like the 55th House District will always be on our radar because it is a Republican district slowly but steadily turning blue. Due to this ongoing shift, Trevis Harrold and Alexander Hawkins were running to win the Democratic primary election to take on Republican incumbent Mark Tisdel. Harrold ousted Hawkins 52.8% to 47.2% in a close race. Harrold faces a tough challenge this November, however, since Tisdel is an extremely strong and well-liked candidate in this district.
- 58th House District: this is a seat that is losing its Democratic base and trending red. Democratic incumbent Nate Shannon will have another competitive general election in November after Ron Robinson beat Roger Goodrich in the Republican primary. Robinson was favored to win and received 67.9% of the vote compared to Goodrich’s 32.1%.
- 61st House District: we were watching the Republican primary in the 61st House District last night, which featured a three-way race between Robert Wojtowicz, Russ Cleary and John Grossenbacher. Wojtowicz won the race with 43.3 percent of the vote and narrowly beat Cleary who received 41.7%. Grossenbacher ended up with 15%. Wojtowicz will face Democratic incumbent Denise Mentzer in a seat that is always in play for Republicans.
- 64th House District: this seat is open after Republican Representative Andrew Beeler announced he is not seeking reelection. In a crowded five-way primary, Joseph Pavlov got the job done with 31.8% of the vote. Jorja Baldwin and Gary Eisen both gave a serious challenge, with each receiving 30% and 28.5% of the vote, respectively.
- 66th House District: Republican incumbent Josh Shriver made our list after making headlines for all the wrong reasons. We thought Shriver’s time in Lansing was over, but he ended up defeating Randy LeVasseur with ease, garnering 65.8% to LaVasseur’s 34.2%.
- 76th House District: this seat is competitive on paper, but Democratic incumbent Angela Witwer makes it a tough task for a Republican to win in November. Peter Jones and Andy Shaver battled it out last night for the chance to take on that challenge, which saw Shaver win with 85.2% of the vote.
- 78th House District: protecting incumbent Gina Johnsen was the priority of many within the Lansing Republican bubble this summer and protected she was. Johnsen faced a somewhat serious competitor in Jon Rocha, who was endorsed by Donald Trump in 2022 before being disqualified from the ballot. However, Johnsen fended off Rocha and won easily with 72.2% of the vote compared to Rocha’s 27.8%.
- 103rd House District: all eyes were on this seat as it could arguably determine majority. Democratic incumbent Betsy Coffia will face Lisa Trombley in November after Trombley defeated Katie Kniss and Tripp Garcia in the Republican primary. Trombley was rumored to be the “preferred choice” among Republican members to take on Coffia, and they got their wish. Trombley received 62.5% of the vote to Kniss’ 31.2% and Garcia’s 6.3%. This will be one of the most important races this fall.
- 107th House District: this is called an “upset” because an incumbent lost, but it’s debatable how many within the Lansing bubble are actually “upset” about the result. Republican incumbent Neil Friske lost to Parker Fairbairn in this solidly Republican seat. Fairbairn received 63.1% to Friske’s 36.9%.
- 109th House District: this was a rare double primary where both were highlighted in our pre-election report. Democratic incumbent Jenn Hill won her primary against Randy Girard and Margaret Brumm with 80.2% of the vote. The Republican side was a little closer, but not by much, with Karl Bohnak defeating Burt Mason and Melody Wagner. Bohnak received 74.7% of the vote, with neither Mason nor Wagner receiving more than 16% of the vote. We expect the race between Hill and Bohnak to be close this fall.
Education, Sponsorship & Exhibition
25th Annual Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorder Hybrid Conference
Sept. 16-17, 2024
Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi, or Virtual
Register NOW for discounted pricing!
**Deadline for sale pricing Friday, August 21, 2024
CMHA Events
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Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
Resources from Great Lakes MHTTC
CMHA is the Michigan partner with the SAMHSA funded Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC). That partnership provides Michigan’s behavioral health community with access to cutting edge education and training offerings from across the country and the Great Lakes region while also allowing CMHA to expand its catalog of education and training offerings to its members and allies. For more about the Great Lakes MHTTC click here.
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