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.

• More from WDET:
  Detroit Evening Report: Michigan families, caregivers prepare for possible Medicaid cuts
  MichMash: Michigan Health and Hospital Association CEO says protecting Medicaid protects Michigan
  Slotkin talks Medicaid cuts in GOP’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ voting against California EV mandate

Family Wellness Fair in Pontiac

The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is hosting a Family Wellness Fair on Thursday, August 21, from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m.

This event is dedicated to family health, safety, and community resources. It is open to all parents, caregivers, and community members.

The fair will feature information on maternal and infant wellness, child safety and development, social services, and community support. There will also be raffles and giveaways.

Location: 76 Williams St., Pontiac, Michigan
More information: detroitinterfaithcouncil.com | Facebook page

Additional headlines

Maternal and Infant Health Resource Fair

The Maternal and Infant Health Resource Fair takes place Wednesday, August 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Islamic Center of Detroit.

The event promotes the Advancing Healthy Births program and will include:
• Resources and access to healthcare professionals
• Activities for children
• Lead testing and health screenings
• Giveaways

Location: Islamic Center of Detroit
More information: icdonline.org | Event details on Facebook

Detroit launches first food composting program

The City of Detroit is launching its first food composting program, funded by a one-year, $100,000 grant from Carhartt.

The pilot program will provide free five-gallon composting buckets to the first 200 residents who enroll. Participants will drop off filled buckets at Detroit’s People’s Food Co-op on Woodward, where food scraps will be processed and transferred to local farms.

The goal is to process up to 220 pounds of food scraps each day and reduce landfill waste. The program also ties into Michigan’s 2030 statewide goal of diverting 50 percent of food waste from landfills.

More information and sign-up: detroitmi.gov

Michigan prepares wildfire smoke resource site

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is creating an online resource to help residents cope with wildfire smoke.

So far this summer, Canadian wildfire smoke has prompted 31 air quality warnings across Michigan. By comparison, 2023 saw fewer warnings but higher smoke concentrations.

The state’s new webpage will include:
• Links to air quality readings
• A sign-up for air quality notifications
• Answers to common wildfire smoke questions

EGLE officials say that while residents cannot control wildfire smoke, they can take steps to protect themselves.

Resource page: michigan.gov/egle/wildfire-smoke

Detroit Tigers face Houston Astros in key series

The Detroit Tigers continue their strong season with a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park, beginning tonight at 6:40 p.m.

The Tigers hold a commanding lead in the American League Central Division, but playoff seeding could be influenced by this matchup. If the Tigers sweep the series, they would secure a potential tiebreaker advantage.

Learn more from the Detroit News

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Detroit unveils Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park in East Village

Detroit held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday for a new educational park in the city’s East Village neighborhood.

The Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park tells the story of an African American physician whose family was attacked by an angry mob after they moved into the then all-white neighborhood in 1925.

The home is owned by Danny Baxter, whose parents bought the property from the Sweets. He says it has been his dream since learning the history of the home to share its story.

“I was just impacted and fascinated by that story. And I went back into the kitchen to my mother, and I said, Ma, did that really happen? She said, Yes, baby, it sure did. I said, Well, Mama, one day, one day, I’m going to do something to make sure that everybody in the world knows what happened on the corner of Garland and Charlevoix.”

The events of that night led to the overturn of racially discriminatory housing policies in America. Detroit officials say the park is part of a larger effort to preserve important pieces of Black history.

Additional headlines

ACLU sues City of Warren over police beating of Black man

The ACLU of Michigan has filed a lawsuit against the City of Warren and several of its police officers on behalf of Christopher Gibson, a Black man who was beaten while in police custody.

The lawsuit alleges Gibson was denied psychiatric treatment after police were notified of his mental illness, and was later pepper sprayed, tasered and brutalized by officers.

ACLU Staff Attorney Mark Fancher says the city is liable because it failed to properly train officers to handle the situation.

“It also failed to make available resources and services that Mr. Gibson needed during a mental health crisis that was triggered after he had been in the company of a very close relative who was dying of cancer. Mr. Gibson has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the city also violated federal laws that ensure accommodations and non-discrimination for people with disabilities.”

Fancher says the case highlights the need for more training and mental health professionals in police departments.

In addition to the lawsuit, the ACLU released a 10-minute video using police body camera footage showing the extent of the abuse while Gibson was in custody.

A police spokesperson said they have not yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces bill to ban dynamic pricing based on personal data

Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is introducing a bill to stop large stores from abruptly changing prices based on a customer’s personal data.

Tlaib wants to ban electronic shelf pricing, claiming some big grocery and department stores examine what customers look like, or what databases say about them, and then quickly adjust prices.

“It’s about how far they can go in charging you and knowing that you can afford it because they looked up and created a profile on you saying this is how much they make, this is an item they need. Gender, color of their skin, their income or the location that they’re at, all of that information should not be used in fixing the price.”

Tlaib says her bill would establish an enforcement arm within the Federal Trade Commission to police such practices.

Detroit launches residential compost program

Detroit’s Office of Sustainability has launched a compost program to reduce food waste, improve soil health and support local food production.

The program is funded by a $100,000 grant from Carhartt. The first 200 residents to register will receive a free five-gallon compost bucket and an optional countertop bin.

The pilot aims to divert up to 220 pounds of food scraps daily. To sign up, email sustainability@detroitmi.gov with “Composting Program” in the subject line.

Issa Rae is bringing book tour to Detroit

Comedian and star of HBO’s Insecure Issa Rae will be in Detroit on September 24 during her book tour for I Should Be Smarter by Now.

Tickets for the show at the Fillmore Detroit go on sale Friday on Ticketmaster. Presale tickets with the password MOTOWN are available now.

The book, scheduled for release August 26, is a collection of essays written by Rae and a follow-up to her first collection The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mental health crises too often land people in jail instead of hospitals.

That’s what happened in Traverse City, where this weekend, a man attacked 11 random Walmart shoppers. According to his family, he had suffered for decades from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and he “fell through the cracks” of the system again.

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, four people died after a shooter opened fire in an office building housing NFL offices. The gunman pleaded grievances in a note tied to suspected brain injuries and noted a mental health history.

These incidents remind us why reforming the system—and the people who interact with it—matters.

In Wayne County, nearly half of the people in jail are medicated for severe mental illness. And 911 received over 15,000 mental health calls last year alone.

Over the past decade, a coalition of groups has been working to change how we respond to things like mental health crises in Wayne County. It’s having an impact.

Since 2016, jail bookings in Wayne County dropped more than 50%.

Police now receive specialized training, social workers ride alongside officers, and mobile crisis teams sometimes respond without law enforcement.

At the center of this transformation is Dr. Sheryl Kubiak. She’s the founding director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at Wayne State University and dean of Wayne State’s School of Social Work. Her team has led pilot programs, built shared data systems, and worked to break down silos.

She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to share what’s working, what still needs to change, and how communities can respond before crisis turns to catastrophe.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.