Mental Health
Brendan’s Plan for Michigan’s Mental Healthcare
For far too long, too many Michiganders have gone undiagnosed, untreated, and unsupported when it comes to our mental and behavioral healthcare. In their 2019 study, Mental Health America found that 1.32 million Michiganders were living with a mental illness – roughly 17 percent of our population. Yet 19 percent of adults and 64 percent of youths go without access to mental healthcare every year. This is part of why, on average, one Michigander dies by suicide every six hours, making suicide the second biggest cause of death for youths. We must address this.
So here’s Brendan’s plan:
Short-Term Fixes
Commit to being #StigmaFree. Brendan is a proud signatory of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ StigmaFree Pledge, and he will push all other members of the Michigan Legislature to commit to combating social stigma by living #StigmaFree.
Fund and improve student services. Michiganders come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of ability, and social workers, nurses, mental health professionals, and IEPs are just some of the critical resources many students rely on. I endorse and will work to support Superintendent Shaner’s plan to put a mental health clinician in every school in Rochester Community Schools and work to ensure that Avondale schools achieve the same.
Make mental and behavioral healthcare cheaper by addressing disparities in insurance laws. More than a decade after the passage of the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, Michigan is still graded an “F” in mental health parity.
Support local communities and local needs by adequately funding the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services during the state appropriations process.
Long-Term Solutions
Identify areas of most immediate need. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan ranks third worst of all states in what they call Mental Health Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. We need more mental healthcare professionals.
Eliminate obstacles for practitioners who want to move to Michigan. Currently psychiatrists need at least ten years of experience in their state of license origin before they are eligible to apply for "endorsement" in Michigan. If we want to attract mental health professionals to set up shop in Michigan, we must make it easier to do so.
Advance the use of telemedicine by closing gaps in broadband internet capacity and connection. Helping physicians and mental health providers prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine will go a long way toward reducing the supply-demand mismatch currently existing.
Commit to national education and labor standards by promulgating Michigan’s accession to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Board’s Agreement of Reciprocity. This will allow for more practitioners to work in Michigan and will also attract out-of-state students to study at Michigan universities.
Sound good to you? Join our campaign or make a donation to show your support!
Want to influence this or future policies? Brendan is establishing several Advisory Boards to help guide his policies during the campaign and also when he is elected in Lansing. Sign up to join!