Mental health care is often accompanied by a stigma. Its as if its normal to seek help if you have heart trouble or suffer from a chronic disease, but a person must be weak or crazy to seek mental help. It is an area of concern that needs more attention. Although it may be difficult to fight the stigma, the $16 million that was just awarded to expand mental health services in Michigan is a major boost.
Essentially, four facilities in Michigan will each receive $4 million to expand their service, improve their outreach, and better handle crisis calls. It may also be used to expand 24-hour crisis services.
The four Michigan facilities that will receive the funds include:
- The Easter Seals in Auburn Hills – a national network that helps people with disabilities.
- West Michigan Community Mental Health Authority – uses a first-person approach to helping people with mental illness, intellectual disorders, and substance abuse to promote long term well-being.
- Health West (formerly known as Muskegon Community Mental Health Authority) – offers youth and adult behavioral health services, which include suicide prevention and a Wellness Recovery Action Plan.
- Kalamazoo County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services – serves adults with mental illness, youth with serious emotional disturbances, and those with a co-occurring disorder.
These faculties will be the first Certified Behavior Health Clinics in Michigan. Since that makes them federally certified, they hope to secure additional federal funding down the road.
The grants are also expected to help with public safety, allowing better outreach so people get the help they need before it turns into a crisis situation. Left unchecked, some people who suffer from mental illness or addiction struggle through life or end up in jail. Additional funding will allow services to further their community outreach and positively effect more people.