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Professional NewsFull Access

State Gets Strategy for Reforming System

Published Online:21 Jan 2005https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.40.2.00400057

The Michigan Mental Health Commission submitted its final report and recommendations to Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) on October 24, 2004 (see story on Original article: page 1).

Commission members identified seven goals and several recommendations to implement each goal. More detailed recommendations appear in the report.

The following are the goals and representative recommendations:

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Goal 1: The public knows that mental illness and emotional disturbance are treatable, recovery is possible, and people with mental illness lead productive lives.

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The governor should convene Michigan leaders across many sectors as a private and public partnership to develop and launch a public education campaign.

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Goal 2: The public mental health system will define clearly those persons it will serve and will address the needs of those persons at the earliest time possible to reduce crisis situations.

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Uniform guidelines for serving individuals eligible for public mental health services should be put in place across the state.

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Goal 3: A full array of high-quality mental health treatment, services, and supports is accessible to improve the quality of life for individuals with mental illness and their families.

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A mental health institute should be created to develop evidence-based practice, and practice-based evidence research and state clinical leadership should be strengthened.

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Goal 4: No one enters the juvenile and criminal justice systems because of inadequate mental health care.

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Screening and assessment of children and adults at first contact should be ensured, and prerelease planning should address mental health and other needs.

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Goal 5: Michigan's mental health system is structured and funded so that high-quality care is delivered effectively and efficiently by accountable providers.

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A new funding strategy should be adopted by public mental health services, including dedicated state funding, full and flexible use of federal funds, adoption of new executive-branch budget policy, maintenance of county matching funds, and passage of a state parity law.

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Goal 6: Recovery is supported by integrated mental and physical health care and housing, education, and employment services.

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Mental and physical health care should be more integrated, as should substance abuse and other mental health treatment.

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Goal 7: Consumers and families are actively involved in service planning, delivery, and monitoring at all levels of the public mental health system.

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A mechanism should be implemented to obtain service-recipient and family feedback on satisfaction with services and progress toward outcomes.