In this episode

• Reasons behind the change with from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• Supporters and Opponents share their thoughts on the change. 

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The Whitmer administration is moving forward with changes to Michigan’s behavioral health system. As part of the weekly series MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow discuss how the proposal is being received by supporters and opponents, including Daniel Cherrin and Robert Sheehan.

Daniel Cherrin leads the MI Care Council, the Michigan Association of Substance Addiction Providers, and the MI Behavioral Health and Wellness Collaborative. He supports the changes, arguing they will make the system more accountable and efficient. “Right now there are too many layers of behavioral services in the state of Michigan and too many conflicts of interest,” he says. “We support the state’s efforts because now they are asking Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans if they want to be a service provider or a funder. We want them to make a choice.”

Cherrin says the changes would also remove unnecessary gatekeepers in the system.

Robert Sheehan, executive director of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, takes the opposite view. He believes the fundamental structure should not be dismantled in the name of reform. “There is a lack of uniformity with Medicaid benefits. Uniformity has a cost,” he says. “If a town is told to do it a certain way but they have an innovative practice, they won’t be able to pursue it.” Sheehan argues the state needs a balance of uniformity and innovation.

Roth and Gorchow also spoke with Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, who explained the reasoning behind the changes.

The goal is to have the new system in place by October 1, 2026.

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