Mental Health & Wellness Commission Delivers Recommendations to Legislature

The Mental Health and Wellness Commission released a series of 60 recommendations on Tuesday. The Commission’s recommendations are aimed at providing better services for those with developmental disabilities or mental illness, as well as give them better opportunities to pursue autonomous lives.

The commission is a bicameral, bipartisan initiative. State Senator Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) said the Commission’s members represented “the left of the left and the right of the right,” illustrating the significance of the unanimous approval on the recommendations.

Of the recommendations outlined, many focused on how to combat the stigma that is often placed on individuals and families dealing with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse. Chair of the Commission, Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, whose daughter is autistic, stated that he, too, has struggled with a sense of stigma. Mr. Calley pointed out a recommendation by the Commission that the state end the use of the words “retardation” and “retarded” in all laws and rules.

Among the recommendations:

· Use the same substance use disorder provider credential standards in all forms and contracts for all departments;

· Update the Mental Health Code to match federal law that allows information sharing in some instances;

· Use common policies and guidelines in the Department of Community Health;

· Develop a “consistent and minimum” formulary that crosses all fee-for-service and Medicaid managed care plans for prescribing psychotic and psychotropic drugs;

· Find ways to help with women struggling with postpartum issues if they lose Medicaid coverage 60 days after giving birth;

· Ensure that children placed in foster care are designated for priority mental health services, even if the child has a mild condition; and

· Work with advocacy organizations across the state to develop and implement programs to reduce stigma.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, January 24, 2014 11:00 AM
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