WASHINGTON (WHTC-AM/FM, Sept. 22, 2023) – Two county mental health agencies along the Lakeshore are getting a little financial boost from Washington.
Following protocol, the office of the senior US Senator from the State of Michigan, Lansing Democrat Debbie Stabenow, announced on Thursday that matching annual million-dollar Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Improvement and Advancement grants will go to Allegan County Community Mental Health Services and to Community Mental Health of Ottawa County. These funds, which will cover a four-year span, will go toward expansion and improvement of current services. Similar grants were also announced yesterday for community mental health authorities in Van Buren and Barry counties.
In order to receive such enhanced Medicaid funding, the clinics are required to provide crisis services that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use disorder, regardless of their ability to pay. Other high-quality services are required as well, including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment services; immediate screenings, risk assessments, and diagnoses; and care coordination including partnerships with emergency rooms, law enforcement, and veterans’ groups.
“In our transition from a traditional CMH agency in Michigan, the [IA] award is a critically important support for implementation of CCBHC in Allegan County. While CCBHC funds support much of the service delivery, the [IA] supports active, creative, and effective community outreach to the people who need services, and the resources allocated for project evaluation will assure that the programs are implemented as intended.” – Mark Witte, Executive Director of OnPoint in Allegan County.
“Community Mental Health of Ottawa is thrilled to be a recipient of the SAMHSA Improvement and Advancement grant to help expand and improve our CCBHC services. We are very thankful for Senator Stabenow’s efforts to advance the CCBHC initiative and her dedication to finding solutions for those individuals who experience mental health and substance use disorders and are struggling to find appropriate care.” – Lynne Doyle, Executive Director of Community Mental Health of Ottawa County.
Since 2018, Michigan has received over $187 million in grant funding for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
