© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Minding Michigan: Advocates "cautiously optimistic" of state's effort to reform mental health

Capitol Building in Lansing, MI
Matthileo
/
Flickr - http://j.mp/1SPGCl0
Dohn Hoyle, the director of public policy of The Arc: "There's not been anything that we've seen ... that leads us to believe that the governor's original [mental health funding] plan makes any sense."

Governor Rick Snyder has put forth a proposal to privatize all or part of Michigan's mental health system. The governor has suggested $2.4 billion be shifted to Medicaid HMOs rather than public mental health organizations, according to reports in Crain’s Detroit Business.

Lieutenant Gov. Brian Calley has been heading up discussions with work group of public mental health agencies and advocacy groups. But it appears those talks have broken down.
Mental health advocates Kevin Fischer and Dohn Hoyle joined Stateside to talk about why the talks have broken down.

"There's not been anything that we've seen ... that leads us to believe that the governor's original [mental health funding] plan makes any sense," Hoyle said. 

Listen to the full interview above to hear about how our guests, and Lt. Gov. Calley, would like to see the money managed, and what they feel the dangers are with privatizing mental health care.

GUEST Kevin Fischer is president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dohn Hoyle? is director of Public Policy for The Arc, an advocate organization for those with developmental disabilities.

 (Subscribe to the Stateside podcast on iTunesGoogle Play, or with this RSS link)

Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.
Related Content