Michigan hearings on Community Mental Health: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services

Michigan State Representative Mary Whiteford, Chair of the MI House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, has announced a series of hearings on Behavioral Health, Community Mental Health Redesign, and Behavioral Health Integration. These are scheduled for Wednesday mornings, from October 2, 2019 through November 6, 2019: 

10:30 A.M. - 12 P.M.

Room 352

House Appropriations
State Capitol Building

Note that two hearings to receive public input will be held on October 30 and November 6, 2019. Call Mary Whiteford's office at (517) 373-0836 or email MaryWhiteford@house.mi.gov for more information (how much time will you have to testify, what is the signup procedure to register, how will written testimony be handled, etc. ???).

To watch a video recording of the 10/2/19 hearing, go to Video Archives for the MI House of Representatives, scroll down to "Appropriations Health and Human Services - Wednesday, October 02, 2019" and click on "Play Video". Presumably future hearings will also appear here after they have been held.

Here is the full schedule:

House Appropriations Subcommittee on HHS

Wednesday, Oct. 2

History and Overview of Public Behavioral Health Financing in Michigan

Jeff Patton - Kalamazoo CMH CEO

Jim Haveman - Former Director of Dept. of Community Health

Wednesday, October 16

CMH Perspective Benefits and challenges of the CMH, PIHP system including House fiscal analysis of Michigan’s behavioral health carve out
Bob Sheehan/Alan Bolter - Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (CMHAM)

House Fiscal Agency


Wednesday, October 23 

The case for Behavioral Health Integration from the former Medicaid Director of Arizona 
Thomas Betlach - former Arizona Medicaid Director

Wednesday, October 30
Public Input

Wednesday, November 6
Public Input

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The Michigan Community Mental Health system serves people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse disorders  and children with emotional disturbances. People with DD are a small proportion of the total population served, but DD services represent a proportionately larger part of the CMH budget. This is largely due to the need by many with DD for up to 24/7 home or residential care, the complications of complex medical and behavioral needs, and needed support for families. 

It is often the case, that people with developmental disabilities receive less attention than they should by state legislators, so make sure your voice is heard. 

2017 Election results: Washtenaw County millages supporting special ed and Community Mental Health win and other news

Both Washtenaw County millages won by a wide margin in yesterday’s election.

In other news, the Michigan legislature seems to be losing its mind depending on how you feel about guns in schools and protecting wildlife.

According to a Detroit Free Press article, “Michigan bills would allow concealed guns in schools, churches” by Kathleen Gray, 11/7/17:

“In the wake of mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas that left dozens of people dead or injured, a Michigan Senate committee approved bills Tuesday that will allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons in gun-free zones such as schools, churches, day care centers, bars, dorms and stadiums.”

…”The bills taken up in the Senate Government Operations Committee passed on a party-line vote with Republicans supporting the three-bill package and Democrats opposing it. The bills would also close the open-carry loophole, effectively barring gun owners from openly carrying their weapons in gun-free zones.” This was a concession to school districts that claim that seeing people carrying weapons in school upsets students, parents, and staff to the point where they sometimes have to shut down.

Emily Durbin, Michigan chapter president of Moms Demand Action, responded:

”Two days after the latest shooting, we’re here not having a conversation about keeping guns away from domestic abusers, increasing background checks or banning bump stocks," she said. "Instead, we're urgently discussing what the gun lobby wants and that's a desire to have more guns in more places, no questions asked."

Governor Rick Snyder vetoed a similar bill in 2012, four days after a gunman slaughtered 20 children in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

“SB 584-586 — could come up for a vote in the Senate on Wednesday, and will likely pass the chamber, where Republicans hold a 27-11 majority.” 

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In addition,..."The state House of Representatives, in a voice vote and without debate, …passed a resolution urging the state Natural Resources Commission to establish a sandhill crane hunting season in Michigan." ---“‘Ribeye of the sky?' House recommends sandhill crane hunt in Michigan”, by Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 10/18/17.

This has little to do with developmental disabilities, but a lot to do with how government fails to address important issues and sometimes seems to just want to aggravate the opposition for no particular reason. I doubt there has been a groundswell of support from hungry citizens who can’t wait to sample sandhill crane breast meat.

The Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Audubon Sanctuary near Jackson, Michigan has documented the successful repopulation of Sandhill Cranes in Michigan from near extinction to abundance throughout the Mississippi flyway. Since 2009, however, the fall population count has leveled off in Michigan and the birds reproduce in low numbers. The birds are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but farmers can apply to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for special permits to eradicate birds damaging their crops.

Is a Sandhill Crane hunt necessary, or could we all show a little restraint in the protection of native bird species?