Senator Chang asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Chang’s statement is as follows:
It’s clear that we have to change the way we respond to behavioral health crises in Michigan. When we call for help when someone is having a mental health emergency, we should have someone respond who is best trained to give the intervention that’s needed and get that individual the services they need. Instead, our current system usually will trigger law enforcement to come without a guarantee that the officer who arrives has the knowledge or training regarding behavioral health and interventions and without knowing whether a mental health professional might be coming with that officer or officers. Our law enforcement officers are busy; their time is best spent solving crimes and addressing public safety concerns for which they are uniquely trained. We should instead be deploying more mental health professionals to help respond to mental health emergencies.
Our bills create grant fund programs to help local jurisdictions across our state build new or existing community crisis response and behavioral health diversion programs. We know that there are great programs all around the country and right here in Michigan whose success we can build on. Within these models, mental health professionals respond to crises in partnership with law enforcement and when it’s safe, they direct someone to services without an arrest. This is better for our public safety, a good use of our taxpayer dollars, and will keep people with mental illness out of jail when they don’t need to be there; they instead need our help. Around one quarter of people in Michigan’s jails have serious mental illness and we have to ask ourselves, Is jail really where they should be? Is it safe for corrections officers and staff? Instead, we have seen tragic incidents where law enforcement response has led to injury or death.
My bill—Senate Bill No. 637—creates a community crisis response grant program through which the Department of Health and Human Services will distribute grants to local governments for these mobile crisis intervention services and builds in clear evaluation metrics that an independent organization will use to evaluate the program, including the number of behavioral health crisis calls, what happens as a result of these calls, follow-up visits, access to crisis stabilization, and more. The Department of Health and Human Services will serve a really important function in providing technical assistance, facilitating the sharing of best practices, and assisting with cross-training between law enforcement and community crisis responder clinicians and peers.
I’m very grateful to have worked with the Senator from the 33rd District and so many incredible advocates including the National Association of Social Workers, Wayne State University School of Social Work Dean Sheryl Kubiak and her dedicated team, the Community Mental Health Association, the Jail and Pretrial Incarceration Task Force team, Americans for Prosperity, Fountain House, and so many more. I know that when enacted, these bipartisan, forward-thinking bills will make a big difference for vulnerable residents and public safety in our state. I urge your support.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 638, entitled
A bill to amend 1974 PA 258, entitled “Mental health code,” (MCL 330.1001 to 330.2106) by adding sections 207c and 207d.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: