The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be a challenging time for people of all ages across metro Detroit.
Now, thanks to aid from the federal government, many adults and children can get better access to critical services – including help for depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
Bob Sheehan is the CEO of the Community Health Association of Michigan. The group provides mental health care across the state with help from grant funding.
According to Sheehan, people are drinking more than ever in the middle of the pandemic, and it can be hard to know where to start if you're seeking help.
Anyone in Michigan can call 211 around the clock to start feeling better.
In Michigan, there's an initiative called the "certified community health behavioral centers."
Those certified centers are now fully reimbursed by Medicaid, making it easier for more people to get help.
If you're reluctant to reach out because of COVID-19, you have options.
In Oakland and Wayne counties, CNS Healthcare used grant money to partner with Huron Valley, Schoolcraft College, and Southfield and Detroit schools to provide on-site and telehealth therapy at no cost to students.
The district is also supporting a peer-to-peer program so children can talk to someone in their age group when they're not ready to confide in an adult.
