Are you a parent or guardian of a student with a disability who has been restrained or secluded in school?

Are you a teacher or school administrator who has witnessed restraint and seclusion of students with
disabilities?

If so, Michigan Protection and Advocacy wants to hear from you.

There is currently a nationwide push to better regulate the unsafe use of restraint and/or seclusion in
our schools.

If you would like to share your story, please contact Mark McWilliams at mmcwill@mpas.org or call

1-800-288-5923.

All information shared with MPAS will be kept confidential.

Click here to read the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency’s (MCCD) September Newsletter.

**The Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency (MCCD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the effectiveness of policies and systems that address the prevention and reduction of youth and adult crime.

Every September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), sponsors National Recovery Month to increase awareness of behavioral health conditions. This observance promotes the belief that behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from mental and/or substance use disorders.

The 2015 Recovery Month theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Visible, Vocal, Valuable!” highlights opportunities for recovery education, support, and celebration and focuses on how the community can: be visible by knowing the prevalence of mental and/or substance use disorders; be vocal by noticing warning signs and symptoms; and, be valuable by raising awareness of the resources available to help.

This year’s event and resources focus on four specific communities: High School Students, College Students, Family Supports and Recovery Peers.

Click here to link to information and toolkit resources for these groups and to learn more. To download the toolkit directly click 2015-rm-toolkit-section-targeted-outreach.

WASHINGTON–The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) released the following statement in reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling in King v. Burwell, the case challenging the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits and subsidies in the federal Marketplace. Click Affordable Care Act Media Release to download the National Law Program’s Media Release to learn more.

Currently Michigan is one of only 9 states who automatically prosecutes all 17 year-olds as adults. Join the over 150 organizations and individuals who have already pledged their support to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in Michigan. Click here to learn more or pledge your support today.

The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation in partnership with the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority created a 30 minute Mental Health Awareness web video  “OPENING MINDS –ENDING STIGMA” which was broadcasted as a TV special on May 23rd as a part of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Flinn Foundation & Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority produced this privately funded special as the kickoff of what they hope to be a statewide effort to educate people about mental illness and improve services and treatment.

The special featured Michigan leaders, mental health organizations, and people with mental health challenges who share their experiences and knowledge in an effort to examine issues and possible solutions to delivering quality mental health care in Michigan and ending the stigma associated with it.

Click here to view the video.

 

 

Your voice is needed! Read the Lt. Governor’s message below to learn more and link to the survey.

Welcome!

I am conducting a survey regarding firsthand experiences with Special Education in Michigan.

As you are well aware, each situation is unique to the child and no two children face the same obstacles.

I will take your experience and the experiences of families across the state and use them to bring about positive changes that make our children’s lives and futures better.

Please follow the link below to complete the survey. In addition, feel free to forward this email and the survey to anyone in your networks that has a story to tell.

Should you have any questions please contact me via email at Brian.Calley@Michigan.gov.

SURVEY LINK: https://somgovweb.state.mi.us/GovRelations/MichiganEducation.aspx

Brian Calley

The Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) proposed a mental health parity rule on April 6th for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid.

The proposed rule would align mental health and substance use disorder benefits for low-income Americans with benefits required of private health plans and insurance and would apply certain provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to Medicaid and CHIP.

It would ensure that all beneficiaries who receive services through managed care organizations or other benefit plans have access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits regardless of whether services are provided through the managed care organization or another service delivery system.

Vikki Wachino, acting director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services said “Improving quality and access to care impacts the health of our nation. Whether private insurance, Medicaid, or CHIP, all Americans deserve access to quality mental health services and substance use disorder services.”

To learn more about the proposed rule click here to link to the entire Federation of Families press release for additional information.

Or go to http://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid-chip-program-information/by-topics/benefits/mental-health-services.html.

The proposed rule is currently on display at www.federalregister.gov and will be published in the Federal Register on April 10, 2015. The deadline to submit comments is June 9, 2015.

The Michigan League for Public Policy releases it’s Budget Brief: First look at the Governor’s 2016 Budget

Click here to link to MLPP’s website the Budget Brief document or see excerpt below:

Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget for Fiscal Year 2016 includes many important investments in families and children, despite lower than expected revenues, including:

• A new $49 million initiative to improve reading by third grade;
• $100 million in additional funding for children at risk of falling behind their peers academically;
• Funding to expand the number of child care licensing inspectors the state needs to keep children safe;
• Increases in child care provider payments and policy changes that allow families to keep their child care even if their incomes increase;
• An expansion of dental care to children ages 0-8 receiving Medicaid in the state’s most populous counties of Wayne, Oakland and Kent;
• An increase in funding for mental health services for people not eligible for Medicaid;
• $6 million in new funding for community college independent part-time student grants; and
• Increased funding for universities contingent on limits in tuition increases of 2.8% or less.

Despite these wins for lower-wage families and their children, there are many critical state services that continue to be underfunded, ultimately thwarting the state’s economic growth. Children are living in deeper poverty in Michigan in part because of policy changes that reduced eligibility for income assistance programs – including stringent lifetime caps on assistance and the elimination of income support for an entire family due to the truancy of a single child. Fewer families can receive food assistance and food assistance benefits have been reduced, in part the result of a state asset test. And, while there have been small increases recently in support for public schools, universities and communities, in most cases, they have not fully restored cuts taken during the Great Recession even without factoring in the pressures created by inflationary increases in costs.

Read more by clicking here or visiting: http://www.mlpp.org/a-first-look-at-the-governors-fiscal-year-2016-budget#sthash.obEn0LWb.dpuf

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley: Advances made in 2014 to help Michiganders facing mental health, developmental disabilities LANSING, Mich. – Significant progress was made in 2014 to improve the lives of citizens facing mental health issues, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities, according to a new report issued today by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley on behalf of the Mental Health and Wellness Commission.

“We now have a strong road map to improve the lives and outcomes for individuals as we continue our focus on mental wellness,” Calley said. “Although we’ve made progress, the work to better foster independence, self-determination and quality of life for all residents is far from complete.”

Gov. Rick Snyder created the commission by executive order in Feb. 2013 to address gaps in the delivery of mental health services. Snyder appointed Calley to chair this effort with Michigan Department of Community Health Director Nick Lyon, state Sen. Rebekah Warren, former state Sen. Bruce Caswell and former state Reps. Matt Lori and Phil Cavanagh. The commission has now completed its duty and further efforts will be led by MDCH.

Achievements in 2014 include:
Substance use credentialing: Credentialing standards are now streamlined across all state departments to improve the coordination of care in the state (Public Act 249 of 2014).

Care coordination: Michigan Health Information Network now supports care coordination statewide in both physical and behavioral health settings (PA 129 of 2014).

Deaf and hard of hearing issues: The Department of Civil Rights will continue to lead the state on issues affecting people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“R-Word”: The offensive and hurtful phrase “mental retardation” has now been removed from state statutes (Bill signing- March 28, 2014).

Pure Michigan marketing: Recommendations were provided to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation on how to include families with disabilities in Pure Michigan marketing materials.
Special education funding flexibility: Schools can now use at-risk funds for mental health purposes (PA 196 of 2014).

Autism Council priorities: The Autism Council has committed to making public school educational mental health and developmental disability support services a priority.

Employment directive: Gov. Snyder signed an executive directive encouraging the creation of policies that would make state government more welcoming for people with disabilities.

Interagency Council on Homelessness creation: The Interagency Council on Homelessness was created to provide statewide planning and development resources for homeless Michiganders.

Veterans Trust Fund expansion: Mental health care is now an allowable expense under the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund.

“No wrong door” policy for veterans: Pilot programs are underway to ensure veteranshave full access to mental health services in Battle Creek and Ann Arbor.

Diversion Council expansion to help juveniles: Expansion of the Mental Health Diversion Council to find better ways to help deal with the relationship between mental health issues and juvenile justice.

Scope of the commission: The commission oversaw implementation of recommendations from 2013 to 2014. The Michigan Department of Community Health will now oversee future reforms.

Transportation improvements: The Commission worked with transportation groups to ensure the needs of Michiganders facing mental health issues, developmental disabilities or substance use disorders are taken into consideration.

In addition, $14.3 million was allocated as part of the 2014-2015 budget to set in place 25 additional recommendations for those facing mental health and developmental disabilities. These recommendations include stigma reduction efforts, streamlining statewide screening processes and expanding child health centers in underserved areas.

The full Mental Health and Wellness Commission 2014 annual report and other information is available online at www.michigan.gov/mentalhealth.