WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Debbie Stabenow today announced she has secured the State of Michigan’s selection for a nationwide demonstration program that changes the way mental health services and addiction treatment are delivered across the country.
Senators Stabenow and Roy Blunt (R-MO) established this initiative as part of their bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act. Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Michigan will now be reimbursed through Medicaid for the full cost of providing services—the same way community health centers are funded for physical health services. This measure was taken with the intent of closing the gap in funding between physical and behavioral health care in communities across Michigan.
“No person struggling with mental illness or addiction should go without the treatment they need because grant funding runs out in their community,” said Senator Stabenow. “For years, I have been committed to funding behavioral health services the same way we fund physical health services. Now we finally have a way to make that a reality. This is a major step forward that comes at such an important time with so many Michigan families in urgent need of help during this pandemic.”
“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is committed to the mental and physical health of all Michiganders – now both more urgent than ever due to the pandemic. The breakthrough approach announced today will help us achieve critical goals of expanding access, lifting quality, and integrating mental and physical health care,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon.
According to a statement released by Stabenow’s team, mental illness and substance abuse affect about one in five people in the United states. Only 12% of Americans struggling with addiction receive treatment in any given year, and only 43% of people with mental illness receive the care they need. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for ages 10-34, and drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under 50.
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