Michigan’s thread-bare mental health system fails children in crisis. Can a new committee filled with lawmakers who have experience in healthcare or first-hand knowledge of mental health challenges bring focus?
Mental health in Michigan
Posted inTalent & Education
Dexter schools sue social media giants, citing child mental health crisis
Dexter is one of a number of districts joining a federal suit against the developers of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, YouTube and others, contending their ‘addictive’ algorithms target vulnerable children and teens.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan youth in mental health crisis: Could more screening help?
Advocates endorse national panel guidelines to screen children aged 8 to 18 for anxiety disorders.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
‘Staggering’ rise in overdoses, suicides for African Americans in Michigan
The rate of opioid overdose deaths doubled among Black residents over a recent five-year period. Suicide rates jumped 88 percent. Advocates say isolation, treatment disparities and the ubiquity of fentanyl in street drugs are behind the increases.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan sees spike in 988 mental health calls. But what happens next?
Michigan’s new three-digit hotline has produced a jump in calls by people in mental health distress since it began last summer. But advocates say the next step – continued treatment for those callers – is fraught with delays because of a shortage of trained professionals.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan schools race to increase safety through high tech, mental health
Michigan superintendents are trying to balance physical technology to secure schools, with building stronger mental health supports for students. They say school safety continues to be something they want to improve.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan takes steps to boost bed capacity for kids in mental health crisis
Michigan has lost hundreds of mental health treatment beds for kids in the juvenile justice and foster care systems due to staff shortages. Officials hope to boost staffing by offering steadier funding to residential treatment centers.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan psychiatric centers cut number of beds despite having more money
Michigan has taken scores of in-patient beds offline since April because it can’t hire enough staff to care for patients. State-run facilities treat the most severely ill patients, making the job draining and at times perilous.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan bill intended to shorten ER waits for youth in mental health crisis
In House testimony Thursday, backers argued that the bill, which applies to all patients in crisis, will likely most help children and teens, who sometimes waited in ERs for weeks during the pandemic to get the mental health care they needed.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan school mental health program set to expand with $50 million boost
About 700 Michigan schools have adopted the TRAILS program to help students manage their emotions, de-escalate conflict and make better decisions. The program received a huge funding increase in the latest budget deal.