A series of roundtable discussions will take place across the state to talk about the current state of Michigan’s mental health system, barriers within the system and ideas for improvement.
Democrat State Rep. Felicia Brabec of Pittsfield Township, who is a clinical psychologist, said previous work from the Michigan Legislature to reform the state mental health system has not gone far enough.
“Now is the time for bold action,” she said.
“It’s clear that our current mental health systems were stretched thin by the pandemic. We’ve seen elevated rates of anxiety, depression and substance abuse across the state. With this listening tour, we’ll be able to craft legislation that’s truly reflective of the entire state.
“It’s our lens, and it’s our focus: How do we make the system, how do we improve things? The things that work, how do we keep them straight and ensure that they work the way we want them to, and where are the opportunities for us to grow in terms of what we offer in our public system?”
Representatives will take feedback from the sessions to work on legislation to achieve goals that include increased funding for access to mental health services, expansion of the mental health professional workforce, reducing the number of people incarcerated with mental illness, improving the capacity for schools to address children's mental health and improve treatment for substance abuse disorders.
The tour has 11 stops, seven virtual via Zoom and four in person.
- Oct. 4, 5-6:30 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky and special guests state Reps. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) and Cara Clemente (D-Lincoln Park).
- Oct. 7, 5-6:30 p.m. at the Kool Family Center with state Rep. Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek).
- Oct. 11, 5-6:30 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette).
- Oct. 14, 5-6:30 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) and special guests state Reps. Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills), Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac), Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park), Jim Ellison (D-Royal Oak) and Padma Kuppa (D-Troy).
- Oct. 18, 5:30-7:00 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Christine Morse (D-Texas Township) and special guest state Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo).
- Oct. 21, 5-6:30 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids).
- Oct. 25, 5-6:30 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Tenisha Yancey (D-Harper Woods) and special guests state Reps. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck), Helena Scott (D-Detroit), Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit) and Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Township).
- Oct. 28, 6-7:30 p.m. via Zoom with state Rep. Lori Stone (D-Warren) and special guest state Rep. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores).
- Nov. 1, 5-6:30 p.m. at the Anderson Enrichment Center with state Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw).
- Nov. 4, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Ingham County Human Services Building with state Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) and special guest state Rep. Julie Brixie (D-Meridian Township).
- Nov. 15, 5-6:30 p.m. at the Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center with state Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township) and special guests House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township), Democratic Floor Leader Yousef Rabhi (D-Ann Arbor), and Rep. Ronnie Peterson (D-Ypsilanti)
For more information, follow this link and click the Events tab https://housedems.com/felicia-brabec/news-events/