Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Photo Courtesy of Michigan Governor's Office
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Photo Courtesy of Michigan Governor's Office
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced plans on Jan. 26 to expand access to mental health resources while also growing Michigan's mental health workforce.
Whitmer shared her plan in a recent press release that would provide every person in Michigan with easy and affordable access to the healthcare that they deserve — both mental and physical — and will extend her resources and contacts to anyone in order to supply Michiganders the proper care.
"We need to invest in our mental health workforce, so we can put Michiganders first and ensure they have the support and resources they need to thrive," Whitmer said in the press release. "Every Michigander deserves access to both mental and physical healthcare. To boost access, we need to expand the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program, build on our work to hire more counselors, social workers, and psychologists on school campuses, and implement parts of my MI Healthy Communities proposal to increase capacity for community-based behavioral health."
As part of her plan, Whitmer is calling for the expansion of the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program (MSLRP) program in order to focus on behavioral health providers while also increasing funding for mental health professionals in Michigan's schools. This expansion will be used to help retain or recruit hundreds of mental health care providers to the state.
"We applaud the governor's proposals to ensure access to quality mental health services, for all Michiganders," said Robert Sheehan, CEO of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, according to the press release.
In 2021, Whitmer also proposed Michigan Healthy Communities, a $1.4 billion proposal that would be aimed at increasing capacity for community-based behavioral health and substance use disorder treatments. Through new investments in the mental health workforce, Michigan holds the potential to attract and retain additional mental health professionals, create more appointments for those in need and establish good-paying jobs, according to the press release.
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