Veterans Day is Nov. 11, but when that day falls on a weekend, as it does in 2018, the federal holiday is also observed in a weekday, which is why Veterans Day is being observed on Nov. 12 this year. Safe & Just Michigan honors the spirit and sacrifice of all the people who wore [...]
Michigan has a longstanding backlog of cases at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry, a state-operated facility that provides diagnostic services to the criminal justice system. The average wait time for a competency examination in Michigan is six months. This results in unnecessarily long pretrial detention of people with mental illness at the expense of taxpayers. [...]
Northern Michigan seeks to expand services for rural communities On September 29, health, veteran, and law enforcement professionals testified before the House C.A.R.E.S. (Community, Access, Resources, Education, and Safety) Task Force at Mid-Michigan Community College in Harrison and offered recommendations on how to improve services for people with mental illness. J. Dee Brooks, prosecuting attorney [...]
On September 11, health and law enforcement professionals testified before the House C.A.R.E.S. (Community, Access, Resources, Education, and Safety) Task Force at the Team Wellness Center in Detroit. The Team Wellness Center provides an array of comprehensive behavioral and physical health services in an environment that promotes quality of life, continuous improvement, and social awareness. [...]
On September 7, health, business, and law enforcement professionals testified before the House C.A.R.E.S. (Community, Access, Resources, Education, and Safety) Task Force at the Capitol. Their testimony emphasized the need to reduce the involvement of people with mental health issues in the criminal justice system. The Task Force seeks to develop legislation to reform mental [...]
The August 29 C.A.R.E.S. Task Force hearing was in Auburn Hills at the Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN). OCHN professionals, Oakland County Law enforcement, local leaders, and public health representatives from the private and public sector offered solutions for improved mental health services. National and local crime survivor advocates shared personal stories and urged enactment [...]
On August 17 the C.A.R.E.S. Task Force hosted a meeting at the Hope Network office in Grand Rapids. Hope Network is an organization providing services that improve the independence of vulnerable populations. Rep. Kesto (R – District 39) opened the hearing by saying that he is seeking “insightful and cutting edge policy recommendations that makes [...]
On July 31, veteran service, health, and law enforcement professionals testified before the C.A.R.E.S. Task Force at the Livingston County EMS building in Howell. The presenters outlined a variety of recommendations including specialized services, improved cross-system communication, and increased access to services. Testimony emphasized the need to reduce the involvement of people with mental health [...]
On June 6, Natalie Holbrook, program director of the American Friends Service Committee’s Michigan Criminal Justice Program, provided recommendations to House Law and Justice Committee members about the difficulty in reducing the number of mentally ill prisoners in prison. The AFSC focuses on reducing Michigan’s prison population through individual advocacy and casework with prisoners building [...]
On May 23, the House of Representatives Law and Justice Committee, heard testimony on how to reduce the number of mentally ill in prison. Judge Milton L. Mack, Jr., state court administrator, State Court Administrative Office, offered recommendations to improve the mental health system. Mack began his testimony by stressing that mental illness is treatable, [...]