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.

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 – Michigan

Capital Gains – Lansing

Catalyst Midland

Concentrate – Ann Arbor/Ypsi

Epicenter – Mount Pleasant

Flintside

Metromode – Metro Detroit

Model D

Route Bay City

Rural Innovation Exchange

Second Wave -Southwest Michigan

The Keel – Port Huron

The Lakeshore

Upword – UP

“Mental Health does not discriminate” – unknown

I can honestly say that up until the winter of 2020 I was fortunate to not have struggled with my mental health much at all. It was during the pandemic that my reality quickly shifted. I remember looking outside my window at all of the snow and feeling a deep sense of fear. I felt like the last person on the planet. It was during this time that my mental health 

plummeted. My support system went above and beyond to get me the help that I so desperately needed for months. Unfortunately, what was available locally for mental health recovery, was sparse to say the least. My supports and I worked to secure placement at a residential facility downstate for treatment. It was not a quick solution, it took months and funding . My supports were able to start a GoFundMe we were able to raise the money needed for my placement at the facility. I spent a number of months at this facility, learning and applying skills to improve my mental health. I wish I could say that staying at this facility was the fix all for my mental health. After several months at the facility, my mental health declined once again, to one of the darkest corners of my life. The staff at the facility had to make the difficult decision to hospitalize me. The facility was not able to provide the level of care that I needed at the time. During my time at the hospital, doctors and staff would joke that I made a miraculous recovery. Initially, I had been solely motivated to get out of the hospital. After a couple of weeks at the hospital, I realized I had to shift my mindset and my goals to truly benefit from this hospital stay. After a month and a half, I was discharged from the hospital. I had advocated for myself while in the hospital and stated that I wanted to return back to my home along with strong community supports. Since coming home, I have been involved in a clubhouse for people living with mental illness. The clubhouse has provided a level of stability and community that I was lacking. Additionally, I have been paired with a Peer Support Specialist and a therapist. My mental health recovery journey has not been linear. I am thankful for those who never gave up on me.

Click here to view all Connection publications.

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.

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.

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.

The Senate leader on Tuesday threw in a resolution to the chamber’s standing rules to boot, which would allow the secretary of the Senate to present bills to the governor if passed and enrolled by both chambers.

These actions taken by Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) and the Senate drew a rebuke in a Tuesday letter from House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township), who stated the House will not present the bills from last session or to the Senate.

On Monday, Brinks and the Senate filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals. Also on Monday, Brinks and the Senate filed a bypass application with the Michigan Supreme Court in a bid to get the high court to supersede the Court of Appeals’ decision and filed to set oral arguments.

It is extremely rare for the Supreme Court to grant a bypass application.

The moves come after a Court of Claims ruling last month in which the judge wrote that the Senate and Brinks have a constitutional right to have the bills presented by the House. The judge also stated she would not interfere with the Legislature’s processes out of respect for the branch and its functions.

In the Senate’s filing, the arguments were again made from previous filings, that the Constitution requires the presentation of passed bills to the governor and that by not doing so would create a situation in which any bill could be held hostage by the leader of one chamber or the other.

The effective date of the nine bills in question was noted in the bypass application.

“It is a virtual certainty that any decision by the Court of Appeals will be appealed to this Court by the losing party,” the filing stated. “But with the April 2, 2025, effective date of the nine bills rapidly approaching, there is not time for considered decisions from both the Court of Appeals and this Court.”

Hall in his Tuesday letter to Brinks renewed his argument that there is nothing in the Michigan Constitution permitting the current House to present bills from the previous session. He also labeled absurd Brinks’ alternative proposal in a recent letter to him to deliver the bills to the Senate so the secretary of the Senate could present the bills.

“Allow me to assure you that the issue here is not the hundred or so paces between our clerks’ offices, but the unconstitutionality of your request and the violation of the clearly expressed legislative rules it would represent,” Hall wrote.

He called on the Senate to join the House in “working on the problems facing Michigan in 2025, rather than attempting to go back in time and erase the failures of 2024.”

The Senate adopted changes to its rules Tuesday that would enable the secretary of the Senate to present to the governor any House bill previously enrolled in the other chamber, the latest pushback in the fight between the two chambers over nine bills the House has not presented from the previous session.

Under the change to Senate Rule 1.114 governing enrollment and presentation of bills to the governor, a new section to the rule states that if a House bill has passed both chambers, the House has previously enrolled the bill and the House provides the bill to the Senate for enrollment and presentation to the governor, “the Secretary of the Senate shall present the enrolled bill to the Governor and obtain a receipt verifying the exact date and time the bill was deposited in the Executive Office.”

It was a response by Brinks to Hall’s move to have the House adopt HR 41 Track, directing the House clerk to only present bills passed during the 103rd Legislature to the governor.

Brinks told reporters the move is to bolster the Legislature’s ability to comply with the court ruling.

“We’re just making sure that we have every opportunity to comply with what the judge has said that the Legislature must do what the Constitution says, and present the bills to the governor,” Brinks said.

When asked about how both the Senate and House had claimed victory following the recent ruling, Brinks said the decision was clear that the bills must be presented.

HB 4170 Track would reduce the rate and ensure any reduction in the income tax set in motion under a 2015 trigger law is permanent.

The bill passed 65-45 with some bipartisan support. Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi), Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming), Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens), Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township), Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township) and Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) voted yes on the bill.

Rep. Kathy Smaltz (R-Jackson), the sponsor of the legislation, said it was about providing relief for Michigan residents.

“Families across Michigan are struggling to afford basic necessities – groceries, gas, housing and child care costs are stretching budget thinner than ever,” she said in a statement. “People need relief, and they need it now. With the state collecting more than enough tax revenue, it’s time to give money back to the hardworking families who earned it.”

Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford) said that income tax reduction was money the state owed residents.

“Every dollar the state takes in is a dollar taken away from hard working Michiganders,” he said. “Our state doesn’t need more revenue. It needs less government.”

The legislation is a reaction to the reduction in the income tax triggered by the 2015 law. In 2023, the income tax was reduced to 4.05 percent based on a complex formula in statute triggered after revenues to the General Fund exceeded inflation and an additional amount to account for economic growth.

“This bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Rep. Morgan Foreman (D-Ann Arbor). “The wolf being the wealthiest receive yet another tax cut. … We really need to get back to the drawing board and look at what taxation looks like for Michiganders. We want to do our fair share. We want to pay into our taxes so we can have the things we want. We want better roads. We want remarkable schools. We want to pay for the great higher education that we have in the state, but we can’t do that if we’re playing along with these joking tax bills.”

A House Fiscal Agency analysis said the change would cost $539.3 million in the current fiscal year; $713.0 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year; and $727.6 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Republicans have asserted the state has enough revenue to pay for the tax cut.

Although the legislation cleared the Republican controlled House, it’s unlikely to be taken up by the Democratically controlled Senate.

“This is not going to move, so it’s a little bit playing political theater,” Rep. Jasper Martus (D-Flushing) said.

Rather than discussing individual income tax, which Martus said only makes a difference for wealthy Michiganders, lawmakers should be discussing a progressive income tax.

Why Support CMH PAC? 

In the Michigan Legislature there are:

• More new legislators due to term limits.
• Fewer legislators with in-depth knowledge about behavioral health issues.
• More legislative proposals that directly and indirectly impact Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.
• More aggressive interest groups competing for limited resources.
• Very few legislative champions for persons with mental health, developmental/intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders.

CMH PAC helps overcome some of these obstacles by raising awareness for issues that are important to behavioral health care. The CMH PAC supports legislators/candidates who support and advocate on behalf of Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.

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.

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 – Michigan

Capital Gains – Lansing

Catalyst Midland

Concentrate – Ann Arbor/Ypsi

Epicenter – Mount Pleasant

Flintside

Metromode – Metro Detroit

Model D

Route Bay City

Rural Innovation Exchange

Second Wave -Southwest Michigan

The Keel – Port Huron

The Lakeshore

Upword – UP

I’ve been thinking about how our Federal and State governments gather information from those of us who because of poverty use services that they fund. I have come to the conclusion that they could do it differently than they do at present and thereby increase the quality of the data captured while making the assessment process easier for persons served.

Since it is funded by Federal and State governments, the public behavioral health system is required to gather a good deal of demographic information. In the private system, taxpayer monies aren’t involved, so such information is not as important.

The government needs good data to analyze the population using its services.  If their data is of poor quality, the results of whatever analyses they do are faulty. Because of this, I wonder why they insist that this data be collected in the initial assessment of a person seeking services. A person in crisis is not a good source of information about anything other than their current experience. High levels of anxiety, deep depression and psychosis are not conducive to clear thinking. Persons dealing with such conditions tend to be operating in a world of internal stimuli, not necessarily that shared by those around them. Because of this, until they are stabilized, they are not reliable sources of data. As someone who lives with psychosis, I can tell you answers to questions asked of me while I am out of touch with reality are very different from those I would give when I can think clearly.

Other circumstances also can influence the quality of data received from assessments. One is the desire to end a lengthy interview.  Assessments are not short affairs. A distressed person may have difficulty sitting through it. One way to move it along is to make up answers to questions about which one is unsure. Also, a well-intentioned person served might say whatever comes to mind when he or she doesn’t know the correct response. Other persons may be uncomfortable with being questioned by a stranger.

I was trained in research and know the dangers of using bad data to form conclusions. Data collected during assessments is not of a quality that I would use myself. I don’t understand how governmental bureaucrats don’t realize that data obtained from people in distress is not reliable. Since this demographic information is important, I think it should be collected after the person served is stabilized and has formed more of a relationship with their clinician.

Persons served by the private behavioral health system are not required to provide non-clinical information in order to receive services. I don’t think it is fair that those of us in the public system must supply a great deal of information having nothing to do with our presenting problem before we can begin treatment. I feel as if we are penalized for being financially depressed, and all for nothing because the data we provide is of uncertain quality.

I am not against the collection of demographic data: I realize its importance. I simply would like it to be collected at a different time in the journey of the person served than it is now. It would be better for persons served as well as for the those who use the information.

Click here to view all Connection publications.

A longtime partner of CMHA, the Wayne State University’s Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ), has been at the center of  much of the AOT-movement throughout Michigan. The most recent AOT effort being led by the CBHJ involves the creation of a comprehensive report on the state of AOT in Michigan—what is working, what isn’t, and what needs attention.

To ensure that their findings accurately represent AOT in our state, CBHJ is reaching out to everyone involved: individuals at courts, community mental health agencies, and those with first-hand experience— whether they have personally been on an AOT order or have served as a natural support for someone on an AOT order.

CBHJ has created a virtual survey designed to capture both lived experience and natural support perspectives of being on an AOT order in Michigan.

Please share, with individuals who have personally been on an AOT order in Michigan (currently or within the last five years) or who have provided natural support to someone on an AOT order, the flyer providing additional information on this survey and the link to this survey.

The online survey consists of 23 questions and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Participation in this survey is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time without any consequences. All responses will be entirely anonymous, ensuring your privacy is fully protected.

This flyer is found here.

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.

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.

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.

Why it matters: The ongoing saga of nine House Bills that were passed at the end of 2024 that have yet to be presented to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, added a new chapter this week, with the House announcing it will not send the nine bills to the Governor. While a Court of Claims judge ruled the other week that the constitution requires the House to transmit the bills to the Governor, it opted to not order the House to do so. Adoption of House Resolution 41is the latest escalation in the ongoing feud between Republicans and Democrats, with House Republicans making it known there is no intention to send the bills to Governor Whitmer.

The House adopted House Resolution 41along party lines on Wednesday. The resolution directs the House clerk to only present bills to Governor Whitmer that were passed by both chambers of the103rd Legislature, and not any previous Legislature. The fight between Republicans and Democrats in Lansing over nine bills passed at the end of 2024 that were not presented to Governor Whitmer before the103rdLegislatureconvened in January 2025was ruled upon by Court of Claims judge last month. Judge Sima Patel ruled that the Michigan Constitution requires the Legislature to present bills passed by both chambers to the Governor. Specifically, Judge Patel said that Article  IV, Section 33 of the Michigan Constitution, mandates the nine bills passed at the end of last year be presented to Governor Gretchen Whitmer with sufficient time for the Governor to review before the earliest date that the bills could take effect.  However, Judge Patel also ruled that the Constitution did not specify the person or entity responsible for presenting the bills and the Court of Claims will neither rule on it nor force the House to present them.

Given the ruling, House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township), who has previously stated the bills were not being presented due to legal review, provided the following statement on House Resolution 41,“I directed our attorneys to conduct a thorough legal review of the situation and this court ruling. It was a very unprecedented situation, and there has been a lot of confusion. Today, the House gave us clear direction on how to proceed. We are going to follow that direction. Our legal review did identify some uncertainties that have created confusion and ambiguities after the recent court ruling. We obviously won the court case, but the House has taken the position that there is value in clarifying those questions for the sake of future precedent and to give the public a unified position.”

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids)also released a statement, saying, “He lost in court, so now he wants to change the rules. It’s not a good look for him and certainly not helpful for the thousands of people who are counting on these bills getting to the governor.”

House Democrats opposed the House Resolution before it was adopted. Representative Tyrone Carter(D-Detroit)said in a statement, “It flies in the face of something at the heart of our state, our Constitution.

Parent Support Partner training

 The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Association for Children’s Mental Health, is issuing this invitation to apply for the upcoming Parent Support Partner (PSP) Certification Cohort. The PSP model in Michigan is designed to support parents and caregivers whose children and youth are receiving services within the public mental health system through an intervention-based, skill development approach.

Certification includes five days of training. Trainings are structured with an initial three-day segment with two additional days occurring approximately a month and a half later.

The next scheduled PSP training for Cohort 56 will be May 13 – 15, 2025 and June 17 – 18, 2025. New PSP Supervisors must attend on May 15, 2025. Additional certification components include monthly coaching calls, quarterly technical assistance meetings and supervision consultation and support.

Individuals who are seeking certification must be:

• 18 years or older.
• A parent or day-to-day primary caregiver who has lived experience and is currently raising, or has raised a child with emotional, behavioral, mental health challenges and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities.
• Directly hired and employed by a CMHSP or a contracted agency (family run organization or other CMHSP contract agency).

To reserve a place in the upcoming certification cohort, please send a completed Organizational Readiness Assessment and Agency Readiness Checklist found at http://www.acmh-mi.org/get-information/acmh-projects/parent-support-partner-project/ April 21, 2025 to:

Krissy Dristy
Program Manager Youth Peer Support and Parent Support Partner
Association for Children’s Mental Health
office 517-372-4016
cell 517-643-3314
kdristy@acmh-mi.org

If you have questions, please contact Justin Tate at TateJ7@Michigan.gov

Youth Peer Support Specialist training

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in partnership with the Association for Children’s Mental Health, is issuing this invitation to apply for the upcoming Youth Peer Support Specialist Training Cohort 36. The Youth Peer Support (YPS) model in Michigan is designed to support children and youth with serious emotional disturbance who are receiving services within the public mental health system through an intervention-based, skill development approach. YPS is a State Plan covered Medicaid service.

Certification includes five days of training in the MDHHS approved curriculum and an ongoing training model, specific to the peer population served. Trainings are structured with an initial three-day segment with two additional days occurring approximately a month and a half later.

The next scheduled YPS training for Cohort 36 will be June 10 – 12, 2025 with the second segment occurring on July 22 – 23, 2025. New YPS Supervisors must attend on June 12, 2025. Additional certification components include monthly coaching calls, quarterly technical assistance meetings and supervision consultation and support.

Individuals who are seeking certification must be:

• Young adults, ages 18 through 28, with lived experience with mental health challenges as a youth and who received mental health support as a youth or young adult.
• Willing and able to self-identify as a person who has or is receiving behavioral health services who is prepared to use that experience to help others (experience as a youth preferred).
• Experience receiving services in one or more systems as a youth or young adult is preferred (child welfare, justice, special education, etc.).
• Employed by PIHP/CMHSP or its contract provider (family organization or other contract agency).

To reserve a place in the upcoming certification cohort, please send a completed Organizational Readiness Assessment and Agency Readiness Checklist found at http://www.acmh-mi.org/get-information/acmh-projects/youth-peer-support/ before May 12, 2025, to:

Sara Reynolds
Youth Peer Support Statewide Coordinator
Association for Children’s Mental Health
office 517-372-4016
cell 517-643-3544
sreynolds@acmh-mi.org

If you have any additional questions, please contact Justin Tate at TateJ7@Michigan.gov

Why Support CMH PAC? 

In the Michigan Legislature there are:

• More new legislators due to term limits.
• Fewer legislators with in-depth knowledge about behavioral health issues.
• More legislative proposals that directly and indirectly impact Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.
• More aggressive interest groups competing for limited resources.
• Very few legislative champions for persons with mental health, developmental/intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders.

CMH PAC helps overcome some of these obstacles by raising awareness for issues that are important to behavioral health care. The CMH PAC supports legislators/candidates who support and advocate on behalf of Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.

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.

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 – Michigan

Capital Gains – Lansing

Catalyst Midland

Concentrate – Ann Arbor/Ypsi

Epicenter – Mount Pleasant

Flintside

Metromode – Metro Detroit

Model D

Route Bay City

Rural Innovation Exchange

Second Wave -Southwest Michigan

The Keel – Port Huron

The Lakeshore

Upword – UP

A longtime partner of CMHA, the Wayne State University’s Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ), has been at the center of  much of the AOT-movement throughout Michigan. The most recent AOT effort being led by the CBHJ involves the creation of a comprehensive report on the state of AOT in Michigan—what is working, what isn’t, and what needs attention.

To ensure that their findings accurately represent AOT in our state, CBHJ is reaching out to everyone involved: individuals at courts, community mental health agencies, and those with first-hand experience— whether they have personally been on an AOT order or have served as a natural support for someone on an AOT order.

CBHJ has created a virtual survey designed to capture both lived experience and natural support perspectives of being on an AOT order in Michigan.

Please share, with individuals who have personally been on an AOT order in Michigan (currently or within the last five years) or who have provided natural support to someone on an AOT order, the flyer providing additional information on this survey and the link to this survey.

The online survey consists of 23 questions and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Participation in this survey is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time without any consequences. All responses will be entirely anonymous, ensuring your privacy is fully protected.

This flyer is found here.

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.

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.

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.

To ensure statewide consistency and continuity of care, MDHHS has determined all changes approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Children’s Waiver Program (CWP) and Serious Emotional Disturbance Waiver (SEDW) renewal applications will go into effect upon the approval of the forthcoming policy bulletins. PIHPs and CMHSPs will continue to utilize guidance previously provided in the October 7, 2024, memo: Wraparound / Intensive Care Coordination with Wraparound (ICCW) Update. No additional guidance regarding the integration of changes will be issued until the bulletins are promulgated with the exception of additional guidance on the use of the MichiCANS for the SEDW. The guidance on the MichiCANS for the SEDW will be issued in the future.

BCCHPS anticipates it will take 4-6 months to fully promulgate the bulletins and finalize the policy. As part of the promulgation process, PIHPS and CMHSPs will have the ability to review the bulletins and submit public comments for consideration.

PIHPs and CMHSPs should anticipate a switch from H2022 to H2021 for waiver enrollees who access Wraparound on April 1, 2025. That switch will impact billing only. Service provision and requirements as outlined in the Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM) will remain in place until the approval of the forthcoming policy bulletins. Additional guidance specific to the H2021 billing code will be issued at that time. MDHHS will align all other code chart changes with the effective date for the bulletin.

Parent Support Partner training

 The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Association for Children’s Mental Health, is issuing this invitation to apply for the upcoming Parent Support Partner (PSP) Certification Cohort. The PSP model in Michigan is designed to support parents and caregivers whose children and youth are receiving services within the public mental health system through an intervention-based, skill development approach.

Certification includes five days of training. Trainings are structured with an initial three-day segment with two additional days occurring approximately a month and a half later.

The next scheduled PSP training for Cohort 56 will be May 13 – 15, 2025 and June 17 – 18, 2025. New PSP Supervisors must attend on May 15, 2025. Additional certification components include monthly coaching calls, quarterly technical assistance meetings and supervision consultation and support.

Individuals who are seeking certification must be:

• 18 years or older.
• A parent or day-to-day primary caregiver who has lived experience and is currently raising, or has raised a child with emotional, behavioral, mental health challenges and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities.
• Directly hired and employed by a CMHSP or a contracted agency (family run organization or other CMHSP contract agency).

To reserve a place in the upcoming certification cohort, please send a completed Organizational Readiness Assessment and Agency Readiness Checklist found at http://www.acmh-mi.org/get-information/acmh-projects/parent-support-partner-project/ April 21, 2025 to:

Krissy Dristy
Program Manager Youth Peer Support and Parent Support Partner
Association for Children’s Mental Health
office 517-372-4016
cell 517-643-3314
kdristy@acmh-mi.org

If you have questions, please contact Justin Tate at TateJ7@Michigan.gov

Youth Peer Support Specialist training

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in partnership with the Association for Children’s Mental Health, is issuing this invitation to apply for the upcoming Youth Peer Support Specialist Training Cohort 36. The Youth Peer Support (YPS) model in Michigan is designed to support children and youth with serious emotional disturbance who are receiving services within the public mental health system through an intervention-based, skill development approach. YPS is a State Plan covered Medicaid service.

Certification includes five days of training in the MDHHS approved curriculum and an ongoing training model, specific to the peer population served. Trainings are structured with an initial three-day segment with two additional days occurring approximately a month and a half later.

The next scheduled YPS training for Cohort 36 will be June 10 – 12, 2025 with the second segment occurring on July 22 – 23, 2025. New YPS Supervisors must attend on June 12, 2025. Additional certification components include monthly coaching calls, quarterly technical assistance meetings and supervision consultation and support.

Individuals who are seeking certification must be:

• Young adults, ages 18 through 28, with lived experience with mental health challenges as a youth and who received mental health support as a youth or young adult.
• Willing and able to self-identify as a person who has or is receiving behavioral health services who is prepared to use that experience to help others (experience as a youth preferred).
• Experience receiving services in one or more systems as a youth or young adult is preferred (child welfare, justice, special education, etc.).
• Employed by PIHP/CMHSP or its contract provider (family organization or other contract agency).

To reserve a place in the upcoming certification cohort, please send a completed Organizational Readiness Assessment and Agency Readiness Checklist found at http://www.acmh-mi.org/get-information/acmh-projects/youth-peer-support/ before May 12, 2025, to:

Sara Reynolds
Youth Peer Support Statewide Coordinator
Association for Children’s Mental Health
office 517-372-4016
cell 517-643-3544
sreynolds@acmh-mi.org

If you have any additional questions, please contact Justin Tate at TateJ7@Michigan.gov

Do you know a dynamic parent leader interested in helping other parents of children with special health care needs? I am excited to share an opportunity that we are hoping you will help disseminate. We are recruiting members for open spots on the Family Leadership Network (FLN).

Michigan Family to Family and the Family Center for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs have partnered to develop a group of family leaders from across Michigan called the Family Leadership Network (FLN). This group brings together family leaders to provide valuable input on programs and special projects, identify and share community resources, and represent a regional voice for families of children and youth with special health care needs. Families do not have to be enrolled in Children’s Special Health Care Services to apply for a position on the FLN.

They are currently seeking individuals to join the FLN, who have personal experience as:

Parents or guardians of a child (birth-26) with special health care needs (including physical, developmental, emotional, and behavioral)

Young adults (18-26) with a disability or diagnosis

To see open positions and obtain an application, visit: https://f2fmichigan.org/who-we-are/family-leadership-network/

We hope that you will share this opportunity with your networks and encourage individuals to apply. A flyer can be found here.

Feel free to print and post the flyer if you are able to.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please reach out to Kristen Reese at the Family Center at reesek1@michigan.gov or Molly Martzke at Family to Family at mmartzke@mphi.org.

Legislation Previously Championed by Former Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced bipartisan legislation previously championed by former Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow to expand access to mental health care in areas experiencing shortages of mental health professionals. The More Behavioral Health Providers Act – which Peters introduced with U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) – would expand the eligibility for health care professionals to receive bonus incentives from the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Physician Bonus Program to include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, mental health counselors, and other specialists who provide mental health or substance use disorder services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). A HPSA is an area experiencing a shortage of primary care or mental health providers needed to adequately meet the needs of a community, specifically when the population to mental health provider ratio is at least 30,000 to 1. With an increasing number of Americans diagnosed with mental health disorders, this bipartisan legislation aims to incentivize health professionals to work in HPSAs to ensure all communities have access to mental health care.

“I’m proud to carry this torch for my good friend and mentor, Debbie Stabenow, who throughout her career was a champion for expanding access to mental health care for folks in Michigan and across our country,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan bill will help ensure that no matter where you live, mental health care is an option for those who need it, while providing extra support to our health care professionals who deliver this essential care. With the demand for mental health support higher than ever before, I’m going to work to see this commonsense legislation passed into law.”

Across Michigan, more than 355,000 adults suffer from a serious mental illness. Despite 1 in 7 Michiganders living with a mental health disorder, over 4.2 million Michigan residents live in an area experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals. In 2023, there were 257 mental health HPSAs designated across the state. According to the independent health research organization, KFF, Michigan requires about 144 additional psychiatrists in each shortage area to meet local mental health needs. This bipartisan bill would grow Michigan’s behavioral health care workforce and promote access to mental health services across the state.

The More Behavioral Health Providers Act is supported by numerous key stakeholders including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Physician Associates, American Psychological Association Services, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Directed Payments in Medicaid Managed Care In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the regulations for Medicaid managed care and created a new option for states, allowing them to direct managed care organizations (MCOs) to pay providers according to specific rates or methods. These directed payment arrangements can be used to establish minimum or maximum fee schedules for certain types of providers, to require participation in value-based payment (VBP) arrangements, or to make uniform payment rate increases. Several states use the directed payment option to require MCOs to make large additional payments to providers similar to supplemental payments in fee for service (FFS).1 In 2024, CMS released a managed care rule that made additional updates intended to improve the oversight and transparency of directed payments (CMS 2024). This issue brief discusses the history of directed payment policy, highlights changes made in the 2024 managed care rule, and examines the use of directed payments based on MACPAC’s review of directed payments approved as of August 1, 2024. MACPAC’s recommendations for improving the transparency and oversight of directed payments is included in Chapter 2 of MACPAC’s June 2022 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP (MACPAC 2022a).

2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey Report

Our long-awaited report shares findings from 91 institutions across 16 states that participated in Hope Impact Partnerships (HIP) and fielded The Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey between Spring 2023 and Summer 2024.

The rates of basic needs insecurity among students enrolled in higher education continue to be unacceptably high, with students from structurally marginalized identities being most likely to experience obstacles in obtaining a college credential. Black, Indigenous and students belonging to gender and sexual minorities are also the least likely to access campus supports.

Our report also outlines policy recommendations and steps institutional leaders can take to better support their students. Meeting students’ basic needs assures their long-term health, improves their educational outcomes, and in turn, contributes to a more robust workforce and society. By prioritizing basic needs security, we take a meaningful step toward a more equitable, compassionate world where every student has the resources and opportunities to thrive.  

The full study can be found here.

Governor Whitmer has signed Public Acts 1 & 2 of 2025 which provide significant improvements to the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) and preserve the tipped wage system. The bipartisan legislation provides more flexibility for employers while ensuring employees continue to receive earned sick time benefits. These updates take effect February 21, 2025, and impact businesses of all sizes. 

Key Changes to ESTA

Small Business Flexibility

• Employers with 10 or fewer employees must now provide 40 hours of paid sick time per year (eliminating the previous 32 unpaid hours).
• These small employers have until October 1, 2025, to comply.
• New businesses are exempt from ESTA for the first three years.

Streamlined Processes

• Employers can now frontload sick time instead of tracking accrual.
• One-hour increments are the smallest amount of sick time that can be used.
• Accrual-based sick time can carry over up to 72 hours, unless the employer opts to pay out unused time at year-end.
• PTO policies can be used instead of separate sick time banks for easier management.

Notification and Exemptions

• Employers can require written policies for sick time use, ensuring more accountability.
• ESTA now exempts youth workers and unpaid interns.
• Seasonal employers benefit from a 120-day waiting period for new hires to use sick time. If an employee is rehired after two months, the waiting period resets.

Employer Protections & Compliance Adjustments

• Eliminates presumption of employer guilt in complaints filed with the state.
• Removes employees’ ability to sue employers directly for violations.
• Provides exemptions for employers with employment contracts effective January 31, 2025.

What’s Next?

As businesses adjust to these changes, employees can begin using sick time as soon as it is accrued. Employers have 30 days to issue written notices informing employees about their earned sick time and related policies.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) is actively updating its compliance resources. While full enforcement is not yet underway, businesses should begin preparing now. An updated FAQ and revised workplace posters are already available on LEO’s website to assist employers in meeting these new requirements.

Key Highlights

The Governor wants to focus on the basics: making life more affordable, creating more opportunities for jobs, and making government work better for the people it serves. She addressed the legislature and asked them directly to enact long-term road funding strategies to continue to fix the roads. She also highlighted how the state’s permitting processes are broken and new laws are needed to speed up the permit process. Additionally, the Governor called for the elimination of duplicative exams and for the state to honor trade licenses. This comes from an extensive review of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs with the hope that entrepreneurs in Michigan will have more flexibility and a more streamlined reporting process.

Whitmer also discussed “hard truths” our state needs to face related to education, noting that only 24% of fourth graders are at a proficient reading level, the same percent of eight graders are proficient in math, and Michigan invests more per-pupil than most states but sits at the bottom of the list in terms of overall outcomes. She proposed a smartphone ban in schools and an increase in taxes for vaping products to better protect Michigan’s kids.

Whitmer also touted “firsts worth celebrating in Michigan” such as:

• Michigan Tech was just named an R1 research university, joining MSU, U of M, and Wayne State as one of the world’s 150 best research colleges. 
• RxKids, the nation’s first-ever program that puts money directly in the pockets of new moms and babies to improve their finances and health. 
• Breaking ground on the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, the first of its kind in Michigan. 
• Palisades will become the first restarted nuclear power plant in American history, protecting 600 local union jobs and clean, reliable power for hundreds of thousands of people. 
• Detroit reopened Michigan Central, hosted the largest NFL Draft ever, and grew its population for the first time in 67 years.
• Later this year, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open. 

With Republican control of the House and Senate, they can now use last night’s budget resolution passage to move forward with their stated goal of crafting and passing legislation aimed at significantly cutting spending for federal programs – including Medicaid. While we have seen President Trump’s iteration of support for the Medicaid program, the level of spending cuts in the House Budget Resolution would have implications far beyond addressing “waste, fraud, and abuse.”

To be clear, nothing changed in Medicaid overnight. But it’s no exaggeration that the program as we know it is at great risk.

But this is just the beginning. We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us to hammer home how important Medicaid is to providing mental health and substance use care, how many people rely on it for lifesaving services, and how significant cuts will not only kick millions off of their health coverage but also endanger lives, decimate provider organizations’ ability to serve their communities, retain staff and stay open, and blow a hole in states’ economies.

Over the next few months, Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate will hash out their different budget priorities and determine what specific changes to Medicaid ultimately go into their legislation – and we need to be in their ear every step of the way.

It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get loud. When we raise our voices together – through letters, phone calls, in-person meetings, social media – lawmakers listen. The National Council is taking action, and we are asking you to take action alongside us.

Please see the below for more details around what we know RE: potential proposed cuts, what the timeline looks like, and action you can take today to make your voice heard.

This is just the beginning.

What’s At Stake for Medicaid?

• In short, the House resolution passed last night proposes $880 billion in funding cuts from programs under the Energy & Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction. While Medicaid isn’t the only program in this category, it is by far the largest. If the Senate agrees with the House’s plan, we can assume the bulk of the $880 billion in cuts would come from Medicaid. What this looks like exactly has yet to be determined. There have been several Medicaid changes floated by House Republicans, though not yet put into draft legislation. Proposals include mandatory work requirements, scaling back the financial incentive for the Medicaid expansion in 40 states and imposing per capita caps on individual Medicaid enrollees. Check out the fact sheets below for more information on the impact of these potential changes:
  
  • Block grants and per capita caps
  • FMAP and provider taxes
  • Work requirements

Any of these changes would be enormous Medicaid cost shifts to state and county budgets and dramatic spikes in the number of people losing their healthcare coverage. Just scaling back Medicaid expansion alone could cause more than 20 million Americans to lose their Medicaid coverage.

Why Does It Matter?

• Reductions in federal Medicaid spending would mean many people across our country lose their health coverage. Impacts of the identified proposals will vary across states and communities, this could include seeing reduced state budgets, diminished workforces at community-based providers, and an increase in costs related to more emergency room visits and uncompensated care.

What’s Next?

• Senate and House leadership must now reconcile their different budget resolutions before crafting legislation that specifically proposes Medicaid cuts. After that, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy & Commerce Committee must draft the actual policy changes to Medicaid necessary to generate truly huge savings.
• This could take weeks, or months. Every day along the way is an opportunity to reach out to your elected officials to demand they oppose significant cuts to Medicaid.
• The National Council and other leading organizations collaborated on a press statement via the Modern Medicaid Alliance. Check it out here, and feel free to share far and wide.

National Council President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia shared a column on the proposed cuts and how to act. Check it out here.

How Can I Take Action?

• If you have five minutes free:
  • Customize and send a letter to your elected officials and share the link the colleagues, family, and friends: https://thenationalcouncil.quorum.us/campaign/107658/
  • Share messaging on social media:
    • X:The latest House vote breaks a vital promise to more than 70 million Americans who depend on the #Medicaid program and now face the potential for unprecedented cuts to their coverage and access to care. @ModernMedicaid’s statement on the impact of cuts: https://bit.ly/4hTCnVI
    • LinkedIn/FB:The latest House vote breaks a vital promise to more than 70 million Americans who depend on the #Medicaid program and now face the potential for unprecedented cuts to their coverage and access to care. Read @Modern Medicaid Alliance’s statement on the impact of cuts: https://bit.ly/4hTCnVI

• If you have 15 minutes free: Pick up the phone and dial your elected officials. Use the below resources:
  • Look up your officials’ phone numbers
  • Call script

• If you have 1 hour free: In-person or virtual meetings with staff from your elected officials’ offices are invaluable. Email the National Council to help coordinate next steps.

If you have any questions, ideas you want to share, or items you want to flag and discuss with our policy & advocacy team, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Why Support CMH PAC? 

In the Michigan Legislature there are:

• More new legislators due to term limits.
• Fewer legislators with in-depth knowledge about behavioral health issues.
• More legislative proposals that directly and indirectly impact Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.
• More aggressive interest groups competing for limited resources.
• Very few legislative champions for persons with mental health, developmental/intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders.

CMH PAC helps overcome some of these obstacles by raising awareness for issues that are important to behavioral health care. The CMH PAC supports legislators/candidates who support and advocate on behalf of Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.

A longtime partner of CMHA, the Wayne State University’s Center for Behavioral Health and Justice (CBHJ), has been at the center of  much of the AOT-movement throughout Michigan. The most recent AOT effort being led by the CBHJ involves the creation of a comprehensive report on the state of AOT in Michigan—what is working, what isn’t, and what needs attention.

To ensure that their findings accurately represent AOT in our state, CBHJ is reaching out to everyone involved: individuals at courts, community mental health agencies, and those with first-hand experience— whether they have personally been on an AOT order or have served as a natural support for someone on an AOT order.

CBHJ has created a virtual survey designed to capture both lived experience and natural support perspectives of being on an AOT order in Michigan.

Please share, with individuals who have personally been on an AOT order in Michigan (currently or within the last five years) or who have provided natural support to someone on an AOT order, the flyer providing additional information on this survey and the link to this survey.

The online survey consists of 23 questions and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Participation in this survey is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time without any consequences. All responses will be entirely anonymous, ensuring your privacy is fully protected.

This flyer is found here.

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.

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.

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.

Budget Resolutions & Next Steps

President Trump emphasizes support for House budget plan: On 2/19, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he prefers the House budget framework (one comprehensive reconciliation bill) as opposed to the Senate’s plan to break the administration’s legislative priorities into two reconciliation bills. President Trump’s support for the House package comes after saying during an interview Tuesday night that “Medicaid, Medicare – none of that stuff is going to be touched” aside from efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.

Rewind one day: The Senate had moved ahead and scheduled procedural votes and deliberations on their budget framework this week, with the goal of passing a bill focused on the border, energy, and defense, and then later this year turning their attention to a bill focused on tax cuts that would likely include any proposed Medicaid reforms. The Senate was pacing ahead of the House on their budget framework, hoping to make the House consider their version as opposed to the other way around.

What’s the difference between the House and Senate budget frameworks? The biggest difference, and of most concern to National Council and our members, is that the House budget framework directs the Energy and Commerce Committee to decrease spending by $880 billion over ten years, which is significantly higher than instructions to reduce funding in the Senate version. This likely means that Medicaid will be looked at for a significant portion of those cuts.

Next Steps: The Senate is expected to carry on and consider their framework with deliberations this week to consider amendments. It is unclear if Senate GOP leadership will alter their plans at all in reaction to President Trump’s endorsement of the House framework. Meanwhile, the House could bring their framework to the floor for consideration as early as next week, with potential renewed enthusiasm from lawmakers given President Trump’s public support. Once each chamber passes their respective budget resolutions, committees within the House and Senate will begin drafting bill text according to the instructions provided in the resolutions

GOP Pushback to Proposed Medicaid Cuts

Some Republican lawmakers signal hesitancy around Medicaid cuts: A few House Republicans have either publicly or privately expressed concerns about proposed Medicaid cuts, illustrating the potential political difficulty of voting to reduce access to health care. Among several examples, one includes : Rep. Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), who released a statement saying “If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it.” Notably, there are more than 200,000 people covered by Medicaid in his district.

Again, in a Fox News interview, President Trump reiterated his position on Medicaid saying, “”Medicare, Medicaid — none of that stuff is going to be touched,” outside of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. This creates an interesting dynamic given the proposed instructions to the Energy and Commerce committee in the House Budget Resolution that would likely require significant cuts to the Medicaid program.

Why this matters: Because of the GOP’s slim House majority, multiple lawmakers publicly expressing concern about Medicaid cuts is a positive. National Council and other leading organizations in our space have been sustaining a coalition-based education and awareness campaign around the importance of access to mental health and substance use care through Medicaid. See a recent joint statement here.

New Executive Order Establishing MAHA Commission

MAHA Commission: On Thursday, Feb. 13, the Trump-Vance administration published an executive order formally establishing the “Make America Health Again” (MAHA) Commission. The EO provides that the initial mission of the commission is to address childhood chronic disease and instructs the commission to deliver a report within 100 days of the order that focuses on children’s health, including a direction to “assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs.” There were several callouts to mental health, though not of substance use. National Council will continue to monitor this commission’s formation and action steps.

Agency and Regulatory Updates

RFK Jr. Confirmed: The Senate voted last week to confirm RFK Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In his first remarks to HHS staff, RFK Jr. asked for a “clean slate” and reemphasized his desire to challenge widely accepted norms around medicine and science, with a focus on chronic disease. Watch his full remarks here.

HHS Layoffs: Thousands of HHS workers were fired within the past week, including staff at the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Indian Health Service, Administration for Children and Families, and more. According to the Trump-Vance administration, staff labeled as “probationary” are the main focus of layoffs, not just at HHS but across most government agencies. Probationary employees are newer to the agencies, or people promoted to different positions and in a “probationary” period for an average of 1-2 years.

DEA Nomination: Terry Cole, current Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security was nominated to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He previously worked for the DEA for 22 years.

HRSA Administrator Sworn in: Tom Engels sworn in to lead the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) returning to the post he had from 2019-2021. HRSA oversees FQHCs and the federal office of rural health policy, among many health workforce-related initiatives.

Delayed Effective Date of New Telemedicine Final Rules: In accordance with the Presidential memorandum, “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” DEA and HHS delayed the effective date from Feb. 18 to March 21. of two final rules related to the practice of telemedicine, titled “Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter” and “Continuity of Care via Telemedicine for Veterans Affairs Patients.” The administration specified that its pushback will not impede telemedicine prescribing in the interim, as those covered under the two rules are still permitted to do so under temporary COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities that run through the end of this year. Public comments on this delay are open through Feb 28.

Appropriations Processes Underway

FY25 funding deadline nears: Bipartisan negotiators are working to secure a federal funding deal ahead of the March 14 government shutdown deadline. Actions related to the funding freeze have added complications to the negotiations process.

FY26 appropriations request forms open: Simultaneously, FY26 appropriations processes are beginning with some lawmaker offices beginning to post programmatic appropriations request forms for FY26 appropriations bills.

Protecting Access to Care through Medicaid: Fill out Survey, Contact Lawmakers

Survey: To continue being proactive in today’s dynamic and fluid environment, we want to get an up-to-date sense of our members’ revenue percentage from Medicaid, number of people they employ, and the impacts specific proposed cuts would have on communities and organizations. While we are still waiting to see official legislation from lawmakers that would cut or otherwise reform Medicaid funding, we must continue to educate and raise awareness with lawmakers. To that end, please take a few minutes to fill out the Survey link here.

Write to Congress: So far, nearly 3,000 letters have been sent from 950 people in 45 states… let’s keep the momentum going! Use this link to customize and send a letter to your elected officials.

You can customize your message via the two open text boxes by sharing more about who you are, and what impact Medicaid has had on you, your community, or your ability to improve access to care. Sharing your story moves and impacts lawmakers. In doing so, staying focused on the ask, sharing a concise anecdote, and using respectful language goes a long way in your story’s efficacy.

You can maximize your action and share the link with your coworkers, family and friends! Lawmakers need to hear from their constituents that proposals to significantly cut Medicaid should be considered non-starters in any legislative negotiations.

Want to call your lawmaker’s office too? Take two minutes and place a call to the D.C. office of your members of Congress. Want some pointers on what to say? Check out a template call script here. Feel free to make it your own! You can find your officials’ contact information here after typing in your name and address.

Questions on this? Don’t hesitate to ask us.

Key Dates

March 14: Government funding will again face a funding deadline as per the continuing resolution passed at the end of 2024.

March 31: Medicare telehealth flexibilities will expire unless Congress passes another extension.

Shifting to block grants

• This would lower federal funding for states to operate the program while giving states more discretion over how to spend
• Currently, gov’t matches a certain percentage each year with no cap

Per Capita Caps

• Means the government sets a limit on how much money it will give each state per person enrolled in Medicaid 
  • States would be assigned an initial per capita cap based on their current or historical spending 
  • The cap would increase each year at a rate below the growth in health care costs 
  • States would be responsible for any costs that exceed the cap 

Reducing Medicaid Expansion Match Rate

• Currently, gov’t pays 90% of cost for those who are covered in Medicaid expansion.
• GOP trying to lower that funding to 60% or to align with traditional Medicaid

Equalize Medicaid Payments for Able Bodied Adults

• Aims to align their reimbursement rates with those of traditional Medicaid enrollees, such as individuals with disabilities and low-income children.
  • By equalizing these payments, the goal is to ensure fair treatment across different groups within the Medicaid program. 

Lower FMAP Floor

• Means the federal government would reduce minimum percentage of Medicaid costs it covers for states 
  • By lowering this floor, this could force states to either cut Medicaid services, reduce eligibility, or spend more of their own money to maintain current coverage 

Limit Medicaid Provider Taxes

• Means the government would close or reduce this loophole stopping states from inflating Medicaid costs to get extra federal dollars 
• Right now, some states use a loophole called “Medicaid provider taxes” to get more federal funding. Tax hospitals and healthcare providers, then use that money to make Medicaid look more expensive, which results in more federal funding. 

Placing enrollment hurdles

• Seek to appeal waivers that allow state to grant multi year continuous eligibility, resulting in requiring people to reapply for coverage annually

Medicaid Work Requirements

• Medicaid work requirements mean that certain adults on Medicaid would have to work, look for a job, or do job training to keep their health coverage. 

Why Support CMH PAC? 

In the Michigan Legislature there are:

• More new legislators due to term limits.
• Fewer legislators with in-depth knowledge about behavioral health issues.
• More legislative proposals that directly and indirectly impact Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.
• More aggressive interest groups competing for limited resources.
• Very few legislative champions for persons with mental health, developmental/intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders.

CMH PAC helps overcome some of these obstacles by raising awareness for issues that are important to behavioral health care. The CMH PAC supports legislators/candidates who support and advocate on behalf of Michigan’s publicly funded mental health system.

These stories, 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.

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 – Michigan

Capital Gains – Lansing

Catalyst Midland

Concentrate – Ann Arbor/Ypsi

Epicenter – Mount Pleasant

Flintside

Metromode – Metro Detroit

Model D

Route Bay City

Rural Innovation Exchange

Second Wave -Southwest Michigan

The Keel – Port Huron

The Lakeshore

Upword – UP

Click here to view all Connection publications.

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.

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.

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.

The justice system has been described as a “revolving door” in its treatment of persons dealing with behavioral health issues. Untreated mental illness and other behavioral health issues are widely recognized as significant factors in crime, homelessness and other social challenges. This year’s Behavioral Health Improvements Workgroup (BHIW) decided to focus on assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) as a promising early intervention tool to address the revolving door in both civil commitment and criminal cases. AOT orders are currently processed through probate courts to obtain outpatient mental health treatment for persons who do not understand their need for treatment and are at risk of harm. The legal standard for ordering outpatient treatment is less stringent than that for hospitalization, allowing loved ones to obtain treatment before serious harm occurs. Despite its promise, however, AOT has been underutilized due mostly to lack of knowledge about the law by stakeholders such as courts, community mental health providers and hospitals, and lack of data on effectiveness.

It is important to note that this budget recommendation serves as a jumping off point to get the negotiations with the House and Senate started.  Many priorities the Governor announced will be replaced with those of legislative leaders. More likely than not, we expect negotiations to continue throughout the summer, past the July 1st statutory deadline into September, with a final FY 26 budget being presented to the Governor days before the October 1st fiscal year start date.

More specifically, here are the items of significance to the public mental health system:

Links to budget documents Executive Budget and Associated Documents

Links to budget bill (DHHS begins on page 114): FY26-General-Omnibus.pdf

Specific Mental Health/Substance Abuse Services Line items

                                                                                FY’24 (Final)                          FY’25 (Final)                          FY’26(Exec Rec)

-CMH Non-Medicaid services                           $125,578,200                       $125,578,200                       $125,578,200      

-Medicaid Mental Health Services                   $3,160,958,400                   $3,387,066,600                   $3,422,415,900

-Medicaid Substance Abuse services               $95,264,000                         $95,650,100                         $98,752,100

-State disability assistance program                $2,018,800                           $2,018,800                           $2,018,800

-Community substance abuse                           $79,599,700                         $79,626,200                         $80,207,900        

(Prevention, education, and treatment         

programs)             

-Health Homes                                                     $53,400,100                         $53,418,500                         $53,239,800

Program

-Autism services                                                   $279,257,100                       $329,620,000                       $458,715,500

-Healthy MI Plan (Behavioral health)               $590,860,800                       $527,784,600                       $535,508,300

-CCBHC                                                                   $386,381,700                       $525,913,900                       $916,062,700

-Total Local Dollars                                              $10,190,500                         $10,190,500                         $9,943,600

Other Highlights of the FY26 Executive Budget:

Proposed FY26 Investments The FY26 Executive Budget provides $62 million ($15.2 million general fund) in new supports to address the opioid epidemic and provide behavioral health services for those in need. Proposed funding includes:

• $15.2 million to begin operating the new state psychiatric hospital in Northville, bringing 264 new beds online and increasing capacity by 54 beds (32 adult beds and 22 pediatric beds). This investment includes operational support and hiring staff to provide services at the new facility.
• $46.8 million of Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund dollars for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, recovery, and data collection for those affected by the opioid epidemic. This additional allocation will expand services to reduce the number of opioid users and overdoses.
• $15 million one-time to invest in new programs to reduce opioid usage and overdoses.
• $31.8 million ongoing to continue existing, successful programs, including efforts to address the racial disparities in overdose deaths statewide. This brings the total annual ongoing funding to $55 million per year, supported by incoming settlement dollars.
• The department’s three-year plan will drive the use of these resources. The plan represents a comprehensive, multifaceted, data-driven approach intended to strategically leverage available resources and take full advantage of this generational opportunity in the most impactful yet sustainable way possible. The plan includes:
  • Increasing the age of first opioid use though new and expanded programs. The department will partner with nonprofits, youth engagement organizations, and existing partners to expand prevention programing in schools. They will also conduct public awareness campaigns.
  • Reducing overdose deaths and addressing racial and geographical disparities. Those disparities are demonstrated in the chart below. DHHS will use resources to award multi-year grants to organizations working in underserved or under resourced communities. DHHS will also provide annual grants or contracts with organizations addressing racial disparities in opioid deaths and continue distributing naloxone in areas that need it most.
  • Growing the behavioral health workforce through scholarships to prospective students, paid internships, and loan repayment.
  • Prioritizing work to increase recovery beds and access to affordable housing. This will include reimbursing the cost of stay of residents and expansion of recovery housing. It also includes permanent affordable housing and investing in wraparound support programs like transportation and employment that enable people to stay in stable housing.
  • Investing in administrative infrastructure to gather data to track success and provide technical assistance to local governments. This ensures these funds are being utilized for maximum impact and allows the department to partner with local governments to collaborate on ways to address opioid usage

• $96.4 million to expand Medicaid eligibility ($33.1 million general fund) with a new income disregard that will allow more people to gain access to coverage.
  • Currently Medicaid requires elderly and disabled enrollees with income above 100% of federal poverty limits (FPL) to spend the majority of their income on health care costs each month – until their remaining income is less than 40% FPL – to access Medicaid. This proposal would shift this level to 100% FPL, broadening access to Medicaid supports and preventing excessive spend down to help keep more seniors in their homes and prevent individuals from spending down into poverty.

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC)
  • Adds $39.3 million Gross ($6.3 million GF/GP) for utilization and cost adjustments for the CCBHC demonstration program. Also includes a net $0 transfer of $350.8 million Gross ($75.7 million GF/GP) of base CCBHC payments currently within the Medicaid Mental Health and Healthy Michigan Plan – Behavioral Health lines into the supplemental payments CCBHC line.

• $400,000 to explore the feasibility of expanding Medicaid eligibility for children aged 0 – 6 years ($200,000 general fund).
  • This will allow DHHS to prepare a feasibility study to determine long-term costs, benefits, potential barriers and any associated nuances of implementing continuous eligibility for Medicaid beneficiaries aged 0-6.

• $40 million for the community reentry of incarcerated individuals ($20 million general fund) to provide coverage starting 90 days before an individual’s scheduled release.
  • This will allow for health screenings and other services prior to reentry to identify key health needs and social determinants to facilitate a successful transition. Investing in these transition services will help improve health outcomes and access to community services, all of which will reduce recidivism.

• $2.5 million for access to mental health services (general fund, one-time) to support behavioral health resources for first responders and public safety staff.
• $258 million to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of 1.4 million students through continuation of mental health and safety grants to school districts.
• $5 million to support the MiABLE program expansion.

Behavioral Health Boilerplate Changes from FY 25 à FY 26

REMOVED: Sec. 902. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1, the department shall make a final authorization to a CMHSP or PIHP on the execution of a contract between the department and the CMHSP or PIHP. The contract must contain an approved plan and budget and any policy and procedure governing the obligations and responsibilities of each party to the contract.  

REMOVED: Sec. 912. The department shall contract directly with the Salvation Army Harbor Light program, at an amount not less than the amount provided during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, to provide non-Medicaid substance use disorder services if the local coordinating agency or the department confirms the Salvation Army Harbor Light program meets the standard of care. The standard of care shall include, but is not limited to, utilization of the medication assisted treatment option. 

REMOVED: Sec. 8-913. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for behavioral health program 8 administration, the department shall allocate $1,025,000.00, for the autism navigator program. The department shall require any contractor receiving funds under this section to comply with performance-related metrics to maintain eligibility for funding. (EXCERPT) 

EDITED: Sec. 8-917. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for opioid response activities, the department shall allocate $55,000,000.00 from the Michigan opioid healing and recovery fund created under section 3 of the Michigan trust fund act, 2000 PA 489, MCL 12.253, to create or supplement opioid-related programs and services in a manner consistent with the opioid judgment, settlement, or compromise of claims pertaining to violations, or alleged 16 violations, of law related to the manufacture, marketing, distribution, dispensing, or sale of opioids. 

REMOVED: Sec. 920. As part of the Medicaid rate-setting process for behavioral health services, the department shall work with PIHP network providers and actuaries to include, as part of the Medicaid rate, state and federal wage and compensation increases that directly impact staff who provide Medicaid-funded community living supports, personal care services, respite services, skill-building services, and other supports and services that the department determines are similar. 

REMOVED: Sec. 924. From the funds appropriated in part 1, for the purposes of actuarially sound rate certification and approval for Medicaid behavioral health managed care programs, the department shall maintain a fee schedule for autism services reimbursement rates for direct services. Expenditures used for rate setting shall not exceed those identified in the fee schedule. The rates for behavioral technicians shall not be less than $53.20 per hour and not more than $58.20 per hour 

EDITED: Sec. 929. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for Michigan Clinical Consultation and Care, the department shall allocate at least $325,000.00 to address needs in a city in which a declaration of emergency was issued because of drinking water contamination. 

REMOVED: Sec. 964. By October 1 of the current fiscal year, the department shall provide the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the house and senate fiscal agencies, the house and senate policy offices, and the state budget office with the standardized fee schedule for Medicaid behavioral health services and supports. The report shall also include the adequacy standards to be used in all contracts with PIHPs and CMHSPs. In the development of the standardized fee schedule for Medicaid behavioral health services and supports during the current fiscal year, the department must prioritize and support essential service providers and must develop a standardized fee schedule for revenue code 0204. 

EDITED: Sec. 1001. Not later than May 15 of the current fiscal year, each CMHSP shall submit a report to the department that identifies populations being served by the CMHSP broken down by program eligibility category. The report must also include the percentage of the operational budget that is related to program eligibility enrollment. Not later than February 15 of the current fiscal year, the department shall submit the reports described in this section to the standard report recipients. 

REMOVED: Sec. 8-1002. The department shall expand the certified community behavioral health clinic demonstration to include organizations that meet the following criteria: (a) The organization must be a current CMHSP or an eligible organization as defined in section 223 (a)(2)(F) of the protecting access to Medicare act, Public Law 113-93, with a CCBHC grant from the federal substance abuse and mental health services administration for at least one year; (b) The organization must achieve CCBHC certification by meeting all state and federal requirements by September 1, 2024, unless otherwise specified in the CCBHC 29 Demonstration Handbook; and (c) The organization must have implemented the following evidence-based practices by July 1, 2024: (i) Air Traffic Control Crisis Model with the Michigan Crisis and Access Line; (ii) Assertive Community Treatment; (iii) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; (iv) Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; (v) Medication Assisted Treatment; and (vi) Motivational Interviewing. 

REMOVED: Sec. 1003. The department shall notify the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan when developing a policy or procedure that will impact a PIHP or CMHSP. 

REMOVED: Sec. 1004. The department shall submit a report to the report recipients required in section 246 of this part on any rebased formula changes to either Medicaid behavioral health services or non-Medicaid mental health services 90 days before implementation. The notification shall include a table showing the changes in funding allocation by PIHP for Medicaid behavioral health services or by CMHSP for non-Medicaid mental health services. 

EDITED: Sec. 1006. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for certified community behavioral health clinics, not later than May 1 of the current fiscal year the department shall submit to the standard report recipients an outcomes report for CCBHCs during the previous fiscal year that includes both statewide and CCBHC site-specific information on all of the following.

EDITED: Sec. 8-1014. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 to agencies providing physical and behavioral health services to multicultural populations, the department shall award grants in accordance with the requirements of subsection (2). This state is not liable for any spending above the contract amount. The department shall not release funds until reporting requirements under section 1014 of article 6 of 2022 PA 166 are satisfied. (2) The department shall require each contractor described in subsection (1) that receives greater than $1,000,000.00 in state grant funding to comply with performance-related metrics to maintain their eligibility for funding. (3) The department shall require an annual report from the contractors described in subsection (2). The annual report, due 60 days following the end of the contract period, must include specific information on services and programs provided, the client base to which the services and programs were provided, information on any wraparound services provided, and the expenditures for those services. By February 1 of the current fiscal year, the department must submit the annual reports to the report recipients required in section 246 of this part. 

REMOVED: Sec. 1051. The department shall continue a revenue recapture project to generate additional revenues from third parties related to cases that have been closed or are inactive. A portion of revenues collected through the project’s efforts may be used for departmental costs and contractual fees associated with retroactive collections under the project and to improve ongoing departmental reimbursement management functions. 

REMOVED: Sec. 1062. Not later than March 1 of the current fiscal year, the department shall provide an update on their 5-year plan from the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022 to address the need for adult and children’s inpatient psychiatric beds to the standard report recipients. The report must include updated recommendations for utilizing both public and private partnership beds, including the following information.

REMOVED: Sec. 1929. CCBHC Study – Sec. 1929. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for certified community behavioral health clinics study, the department shall allocate $250,000.00 to complete a comprehensive quantitative spatial analysis to evaluate cannibalization effects on existing enrolled locations of community behavioral health clinics. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide actionable insights into the extent of cannibalization and inform strategic decision-making processes related to site selection, network optimization, and future certified community behavioral health clinic expansion. The comprehensive quantitative spatial analysis shall include, but not be limited to, the following.

This dynamic gathering of behavioral health and I/DD leaders from across the country explores the challenges and opportunities in our field while also highlighting the most recent policy developments. Make sure to stay up to date with the conference agenda and registration information through the Legislative & Policy website.

March 4th – 6th, 2025      |      Washington, D.C.      |      REGISTER HERE
We are looking forward to seeing you!

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.

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.

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.

It is important to note that this budget recommendation serves as a jumping off point to get the negotiations with the House and Senate started.  Many priorities the Governor announced will be replaced with those of legislative leaders. More likely than not, we expect negotiations to continue throughout the summer, past the July 1st statutory deadline into September, with a final FY 26 budget being presented to the Governor days before the October 1st fiscal year start date.

The much-anticipated budget recommendation, which amounts to the largest state budget in Michigan history, was released amidst the January Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference report that indicated the state’s general fund was $1.2 billion higher than expected.

This year’s presentation offers a $83.5 billion budget recommendation that includes a general fund total of $15.3 billion and a School Aid Fund total of $21.2 billion. The Governor highlighted the following priorities for strategic investment:

• Lowering costs for Michiganders
• Creating Jobs
• Getting Smart on Education
• Supporting Seniors
• Protecting and Defending Michiganders
• Making Government Work Better

More specifically, here are the items of significance to the public mental health system:

Links to budget documents Executive Budget and Associated Documents

Links to budget bill (DHHS begins on page 114): FY26-General-Omnibus.pdf

Specific Mental Health/Substance Abuse Services Line items

FY’24 (Final)                       FY’25 (Final)                       FY’26(Exec Rec)

-CMH Non-Medicaid services                           $125,578,200                       $125,578,200                       $125,578,200

-Medicaid Mental Health Services                   $3,160,958,400                   $3,387,066,600                   $3,422,415,900

-Medicaid Substance Abuse services               $95,264,000                         $95,650,100                         $98,752,100

-State disability assistance program                $2,018,800                           $2,018,800                           $2,018,800

-Community substance abuse                           $79,599,700                         $79,626,200                         $80,207,900

(Prevention, education, and treatment

programs)

-Health Homes                                                     $53,400,100                         $53,418,500                         $53,239,800

Program

-Autism services                                                   $279,257,100                       $329,620,000                       $458,715,500

-Healthy MI Plan (Behavioral health)               $590,860,800                       $527,784,600                       $535,508,300

-CCBHC                                                                   $386,381,700                       $525,913,900                       $916,062,700

-Total Local Dollars                                              $10,190,500                         $10,190,500                         $9,943,600

Other Highlights of the FY26 Executive Budget:

Proposed FY26 Investments The FY26 Executive Budget provides $62 million ($15.2 million general fund) in new supports to address the opioid epidemic and provide behavioral health services for those in need. Proposed funding includes:

• $15.2 million to begin operating the new state psychiatric hospital in Northville, bringing 264 new beds online and increasing capacity by 54 beds (32 adult beds and 22 pediatric beds). This investment includes operational support and hiring staff to provide services at the new facility.
• $46.8 million of Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund dollars for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, recovery, and data collection for those affected by the opioid epidemic. This additional allocation will expand services to reduce the number of opioid users and overdoses.
• $15 million one-time to invest in new programs to reduce opioid usage and overdoses.
• $31.8 million ongoing to continue existing, successful programs, including efforts to address the racial disparities in overdose deaths statewide. This brings the total annual ongoing funding to $55 million per year, supported by incoming settlement dollars.
• The department’s three-year plan will drive the use of these resources. The plan represents a comprehensive, multifaceted, data-driven approach intended to strategically leverage available resources and take full advantage of this generational opportunity in the most impactful yet sustainable way possible. The plan includes:
  • Increasing the age of first opioid use though new and expanded programs. The department will partner with nonprofits, youth engagement organizations, and existing partners to expand prevention programing in schools. They will also conduct public awareness campaigns.
  • Reducing overdose deaths and addressing racial and geographical disparities. Those disparities are demonstrated in the chart below. DHHS will use resources to award multi-year grants to organizations working in underserved or under resourced communities. DHHS will also provide annual grants or contracts with organizations addressing racial disparities in opioid deaths and continue distributing naloxone in areas that need it most.
  • Growing the behavioral health workforce through scholarships to prospective students, paid internships, and loan repayment.
  • Prioritizing work to increase recovery beds and access to affordable housing. This will include reimbursing the cost of stay of residents and expansion of recovery housing. It also includes permanent affordable housing and investing in wraparound support programs like transportation and employment that enable people to stay in stable housing.
  • Investing in administrative infrastructure to gather data to track success and provide technical assistance to local governments. This ensures these funds are being utilized for maximum impact and allows the department to partner with local governments to collaborate on ways to address opioid usage

• $96.4 million to expand Medicaid eligibility ($33.1 million general fund) with a new income disregard that will allow more people to gain access to coverage.
  • Currently Medicaid requires elderly and disabled enrollees with income above 100% of federal poverty limits (FPL) to spend the majority of their income on health care costs each month – until their remaining income is less than 40% FPL – to access Medicaid. This proposal would shift this level to 100% FPL, broadening access to Medicaid supports and preventing excessive spend down to help keep more seniors in their homes and prevent individuals from spending down into poverty.
• $400,000 to explore the feasibility of expanding Medicaid eligibility for children aged 0 – 6 years ($200,000 general fund).
  • This will allow DHHS to prepare a feasibility study to determine long-term costs, benefits, potential barriers and any associated nuances of implementing continuous eligibility for Medicaid beneficiaries aged 0-6.
• $40 million for the community reentry of incarcerated individuals ($20 million general fund) to provide coverage starting 90 days before an individual’s scheduled release.
  • This will allow for health screenings and other services prior to reentry to identify key health needs and social determinants to facilitate a successful transition. Investing in these transition services will help improve health outcomes and access to community services, all of which will reduce recidivism.
• $2.5 million for access to mental health services (general fund, one-time) to support behavioral health resources for first responders and public safety staff.
• $258 million to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of 1.4 million students through continuation of mental health and safety grants to school
• $5 million to support the MiABLE program expansion.

This dynamic gathering of behavioral health and I/DD leaders from across the country explores the challenges and opportunities in our field while also highlighting the most recent policy developments. Make sure to stay up to date with the conference agenda and registration information through the Legislative & Policy website.

March 4th – 6th, 2025      |      Washington, D.C.      |      REGISTER HERE
We are looking forward to seeing you!