All youth ages 15-20 with lived experience with a mental health challenge are eligible to apply.

Applications will be accepted now through Friday, November 30, 2018. 

A special live recruitment event will be held in Lansing on Saturday, January 19, 2019.

This is a great leadership opportunity for youth who are passionate about mental health and want to use their voice to make a difference!

To learn more – download the informational documents and application below:

ACMH Youth Advisory Application Overview

Statewide Youth Advisory Committee Application-fillable

Steps to Become a Youth Advisory Committee Members

Parenting a child with mental health challenges can be challenging as well as rewarding! Having practical tools and strategies to help you and your child be successful along the way can be very helpful.

ACMH wants to help ensure that you have access to all the tools, tips and strategies you may need so we created this page to share resources that you may find useful.

As Michigan’s Statewide Family Organization we receive a lot of information about online training and resources from community partners and others and would like to use this page to share them with you.

Resources that are helpful for one child and family may not work for another so we will share any we think may be useful and you can decide what might be helpful to you.

We hope you find something that meets your needs! Be sure to check back often as we will be adding resources and information about training opportunities as we receive them.

NEWEST RESOURCE: 8/1/2018 This week  childmind.org shares expert advice about how to make sure your child is getting effective medication treatment. To learn more click here

NEW RESOURCE – 7/2/18 SAMHSA releasesAfter an Attempt– A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member after Treatment in the Emergency Department This pamphlet is not specifically targeted at parents but has a lot of useful information for families. You can download the guide here: After An Attempt- A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member after Treatment in the Emergency Department

NEW RESOURCE: The Michigan Department of Education recently released a series of Family Matters Fact Sheets which provides parents and families with information about special education and other resources.

Fact Sheets are available in English, Arabic and Spanish and topics include: Procedural Safeguards; The Special Education Process; Educational Placement and the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE); Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE); Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and Seclusion and Restraint.

You can link to MDE’s Family Matters Page by clicking here and download the fact sheets today!

March 2018 Featured Resource: Understood.org  was created by 15 nonprofit organizations who joined forces to support parents of the one in five children with learning and attention issues throughout their journey. Understood believes that with the right support, parents can help children unlock their strengths and reach their full potential. With state-of-the-art technology, personalized resources, free daily access to experts, a secure online community, practical tips and more, Understood aims to be that support.

Understood.org’s  goal is to help the millions of parents whose children, ages 3–20, are struggling with learning and attention issues, by helping to empower them to understand their children’s issues and relate to their experiences. They have many great resources on their site including a Parent Toolkit that includes a Decision Guide to help you make educational decisions, information about learning and attention issues, a School and Learning section with information about partnering with your school, a You and Your Family section with information about self-care, managing everyday challenges and support for siblings and much more. Be sure to check them out today!

Michigan Alliance for Families February Newsletter has information about Accommodations and Modifications at school and upcoming free training opportunities across Michigan click here to view it now.

SAMHSA Family Educational Materials The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration created the following materials to help caregivers and youth learn about symptoms of various mental health disorders, treatment options, and support services. The materials were developed  in collaboration with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association. Youth and family leaders from around the country provided crucial input and feedback in the development process. The educational materials provide the latest scientific information about symptoms and a range of treatment options, as well as peer support groups and services. Download the Caregiver Educational Materials Today by clicking the links below:

Anxiety Disorder SMA16-5009 Anxiety

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) SMA16-5011 ADHD

Bipolar Disorder SMA16-5007 Bipolar

Depression SMA16-5003 Depression

First-Episode Psychosis SMA16-5005 First Episode Psychosis

The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Recently shared the following resource in their January 2018 newsletter Federation on the Move:

2018 Goals Calendar- Students with executive functioning issues often have a hard time starting tasks and completing them. That can make achieving personal goals difficult. Your child might get the idea of the goal, but not clearly see or keep in mind what steps are needed to accomplish it. These printable 2018 calendar sheets may help him stay on track with common goals like getting to school on time or cleaning up his room. In addition to the calendar sheets, there are 14 goals you can download, print and cut out. Each one comes with a list of steps your child can follow to get the job done. (You and your child can also create your own goals and steps.) Together, decide which goal your child might tackle each month. Attach the goals and steps to the space on the right side of the calendar page, and have them hang it wherever it will help the most—in their room, in the kitchen or by the door. They can check off the days or weeks that they have hit the goal so you all can see the progress. Download the 2018 Goals Calendar here: 2018 Goals Calendar A Printable Planner for Tweens With Executive Functioning Issues

To learn more about the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health or to sign up for their newsletter you can visit their website at www.ffcmh.org.

Free Resources & an Online Learning Opportunity shared by the National Institute of Mental Health:

Bipolar Disorder in Children & Teens a Parent’s Guide 

January Online Learning Opportunity – Adolescent Suicide Prevention: Recognizing Teens at Risk & Responding Effectively  **This event has passed but you can still view the archived version of the webinar
Suicide is a major public health concern. Over 44,000 people die by suicide each year in the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10-24 both in the United States and worldwide. Suicide is complicated and tragic but it is often preventable. Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can save lives.

Join experts for a workshop about adolescent suicide prevention, which will include techniques for early detection and management of young people at risk.

The event will be live streamed on January 24, 2018 from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM EST. Please visit https://videocast.nih.gov/live.asp?live=26845&bhcp=1 to view the live event. The event will also be archived.

In December 2012, Michigan approved the first Autism State Plan. As part of a regular review of implementation progress, the Michigan Autism Council seeks broad stakeholder input to set new priorities.

MDHHS & the Michigan Autism Council is inviting you to complete a survey to inform Michigan’s Autism State Plan 2018 Priorities Update. Your input is critical, and confidential.

Please know that the responses received will be used to positively direct the Michigan Autism Council to set future priorities.

Select the survey link below that matches your specific role, either family member or professional.

After completing the survey, please forward this email to any other families or colleagues that may be willing to participate.

Family Survey for a Child with ASD Ages Birth – 18 (10-15 minutes)
Click here for the survey link

Family Survey for a Child with ASD Ages 18 and older (10-15 minutes)
Click here for the survey link

Medical Professional Survey (5-7 minutes)
Click here for the survey link

Provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services in the Home, Center, or Community Survey (5-7 minutes)
Click here for the survey link

Public Mental Health Professional Survey (5-7 minutes)
Click here for the survey link

School-Based Professional Survey (8-10 minutes)
Click here for the survey link

Or click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to reach all survey links on the Michigan Autism Council Page.

If you have questions about the surveys, please contact Amy Matthews at matthewa@gvsu.edu or 616-331-3513.

Surveys will be available for completion through Sunday, April 15, 2018.

We appreciate your time and willingness to participate!

Sincerely,
Michigan Autism Council
MI Department of Health and Human Services

Dollars and Sense: The “Costs” of Raising the Age in Michigan

Michigan remains one of only five states that automatically prosecute 17-year-olds as adults for any offense. In 2016, the Michigan Legislature appropriated $500,000 to study the cost impact of raising the state’s age of juvenile court jurisdiction to 18. The funds, allocated to the Criminal Justice Policy Commission, were used to hire independent consultant Hornby Zeller Associates, Inc. (HZA) to complete the cost analysis.

Data Limitations
As the cost-study was underway, it became clear that a definitive number would be difficult to ascertain, given that Michigan does not track the number of youth in the adult or juvenile justice systems, nor the cost of services. While the data limitations render the report somewhat imperfect, the information that HZA was able to gather and analyze was impressive, and the study’s findings are a positive step forward.

Cost Predictions Vary
The cost estimates in the final study vary widely. The high estimate assumes that 15% of youth currently sentenced to prison or jail would be placed in the most expensive, secure public facilities for the longest duration, and HZA notes that this cost estimate should be viewed as a “worst case scenario”. The low estimate assumes these same youth would be in secure private facilities and for a shorter average length of stay. The report also notes that the vast majority of 17 year-olds served in the juvenile justice system would remain in the community.

Costs Decrease Over Time
The estimates in the report are based on 2016 caseload and budget data. But if passed, Raise the Age legislation would not be implemented until at least 2020. Because arrest rates and caseloads have been declining over the past decade, which is a trend expected to continue, the actual costs to implement in 2020 are predicted to be significantly lower. In every state that has raised the age, each with their own unique challenges and disparate systems, one thing has remained constant; every state has overestimated the actual juvenile court costs to raise the age. This was primarily due to failure to factor in the impacts of expanding the use of diversion, providing youth with community programs instead of incarceration, and a decreasing crime rate.

Lastly, the report also did not assess the related long-term benefits of raising the age, such as reduced recidivism, improved employment outcomes and its impact on tax revenues, and reduced public benefit costs for subsidized healthcare and other income supports.

So what happens next?

The Funding Solutions Work Group, chaired by Rep. Martin Howrylak (R-Oakland) and Judge Dorene Allen, will reconvene stakeholders to discuss various funding mechanisms. A final solution will require collaboration and innovation among multiple groups, all of whom agree that raising the age is the right thing to do.

Although an exact dollar amount is difficult to determine, the costs of not raising the age are crystal clear: youth will continue to be traumatized, victimized, and denied opportunities for a productive future if they remain in the adult criminal justice system. We cannot afford to wait any longer. Ultimately, raising the age provides a truly immeasurable return on investment – the safety, well-being and future potential of youth.

It’s time to raise the age in Michigan!

You can download the final report here: Raise the Age in MI Final Cost Report

Also in the March 2018 Raise the age News:

Join the Raise the Age campaign in the name of health – Dr. Renee Canady – Executive Director of the Michigan Public Health Institute click here to read more.

Costs At Issue For Raising Age On Adult Criminal Prosecution Evan Carter – Michigan Capitol Confidential Click here to read more.

You can also visit the Raise the Age Website to learn more about this very important work today!

MDHHS provided updates one the Section 298 initiative Friday which identified the initiatives 3 pilot sites. Read their news release in full below:

From: MDHHS-298 <MDHHS-298@michigan.gov>
Sent: Friday, March 9, 2018 3:53 PM
Subject: Update on the Section 298 Initiative

Dear stakeholders,

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is providing another update on the Section 298 Initiative today. The Section 298 Initiative is a statewide effort to improve the coordination of physical health services and behavioral health services in Michigan. This initiative is based upon Section 298 in the Public Act 268 of 2016. The Michigan legislature approved a revised version of Section 298 as part of Public Act 107 of 2017.

MDHHS has officially selected the pilot sites for the Section 298 Initiative. The selected pilots are:

· Muskegon County Community Mental Health (HealthWest) and West Michigan Community Mental Health
· Genesee Health System
· Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority

Muskegon County Community Mental Health and West Michigan Community Mental Health, which are geographically contiguous, are conducting a joint pilot.

MDHHS issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Dec. 20, 2017 to select the Section 298 Initiative pilot sites. Proposals were due Feb. 20, 2018. The RFI included the following mandatory minimum requirements:

· The applicant is a Community Mental Health Service Provider (CMHSP).
· The applicant has submitted a signed memorandum of support from at least half of the Medicaid Health Plans (MHP) within the proposed pilot region, which demonstrates their engagement in pre-planning activities.
· The applicant has submitted a plan demonstrating full financial integration as required under Section 298 of Public Act 107 of 2017.

Contracts for implementation of the pilots will be between MDHHS and the MHPs operating in the pilot regions. In the coming months, MDHHS will work with the selected CMHSPs and MHPs to finalize the structure of the pilots. It is anticipated the pilots will be implemented by Oct. 1, 2018.

For more information about the pilots and the Section 298 Initiative, please visit the project webpage at www.michigan.gov/stakeholder298.

Best regards,

The Section 298 Action Team
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation partnered with Metro Parent to create a year-long series of articles promoting mental health awareness and understanding.

We invite you to read another article: Why Your Family’s Mental Health History Matters in the February issue of Metro Parent by clicking here.

We invite you to read the current article, The Best School Support for Kids with Mental Illness: Best-School-Support-for-Kids-with-Mental-Illness

To follow the series, go to www.metroparent.com. We encourage you to contact us with questions or comments.

The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation is committed to improving the quality, scope and delivery of mental health services in Michigan.