The City of Detroit and the County of Wayne seem to be back from the brink of disaster.
Hearing Mayor Mike Duggan’s State of the City address was very promising. He didn’t sugar coat that the City is still facing major issues such as our schools and violent crime, but property values are increasing and people are moving back to the City. There is renewed hope and a contagious positive attitude.
Wayne County was on the verge of financial collapse just one year ago. The County annual deficits and structure deficit have been eliminated by hard choices and shared hardship. County Executive Warren Evans will be giving his State of the County address in early March and he will have much to boast about.
There has been much publicity about the turning around and promising futures of the County and the City; but there is another governmental unit that has not just righted the ship, but gone from worst to first in just two years’ time.
Hidden Turnaround Benefits the Most Vulnerable
Detroit Wayne County Community Health Authority (DWC-CMHA), led by CEO Tom Watkins, is leading the State in its programing by utilizing best practices, data driven outcomes and striving for the greatest level of independence of the 70,000 persons with mental illness, developmentally disabled and substance uses disorders they serve annually.
Whereas just two years ago the operations of the Wayne County Mental Health Agency caused the State legislature to mandate a change in the way they were governed because its mismanagement was jeopardizing the entire State’s Medicaid funding from the federal government.
Operations have improved so dramatically since Tom Watkins, a Northville resident became its CEO and President that the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA.com) is to be recognized nationally and awarded for its excellence by the National Behavioral Health Association receiving its “Impact” Award at its annual convention.
What seems as almost a lifetime ago (2002-2005), I served on the Wayne County Mental Health Agency Board as an appointee of the county executive. I saw firsthand how this governmental agency lost sight of its purpose. The agency handled hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for providing services for the persistent and chronically mentally ill; but those in charge seemed more interested in steering contracts to their friends and then milking them for campaign donations. Providing the best care for our County’s most vulnerable was a secondary thought.
I was a State Representative in 2012 when the Republican Legislature passed SB 1195 to make the Wayne County Mental Health Agency into a standalone Authority (meaning it gets the money directly from the State instead of being run through the political and tedious bureaucracy of Wayne County government) because they saw the waste and corruption in Wayne County was diluting the money available for services. By supporting the bill I was at the table to negotiate terms that would protect the employees and ease the transition. The law went into effect in 2013.
Now the Authority, who’s Board consists of 6 appointments of the County Executive and 6 by the Mayor of Detroit, directly receives over $740 million to administer programs for the Developmentally Disabled, Mentally Ill and substance abuse.
Compassion, Vision Leadership
The key element in the Authority’s remarkable turnaround and success is that twelve member Board wisely hired a man of integrity, competence and ability to be its first president and CEO, Tom Watkins. Tom is viewed as a visionary leader who is able to work across the political aisle to add value and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable people.
Lt. Governor Calley, a consistent and strong human services advocate stated, “Under Watkins, the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority has provided strong leadership during the present healthcare transition, ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens receive the care, support and services they need to live productive lives in their communities. DWMHA is an essential partner to the State of Michigan.”
Yet, Tom is quick to share credit with his exceptional team by stating, “It is through our outstanding staff and community partners that we are able not only to react to change, but to lead it and assure it is not simply about change – but progress.”
Bob Sheehan, CEO of the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Association, applauds the achievements of the Authority under Watkins saying, “They have one of the leading behavioral health leadership teams in the nation; what has been accomplished by the DWMHA since becoming an Authority, is nothing short of remarkable.”
VALUE
Just a few of DWMHA achievements and recognitions:
* Elimination of nearly $30 million in legacy debt
* Generation of an equal amount of new Medicaid dollars
* Partnering with the Flinn Foundation to produce two nationally recognized anti stigma documentaries that aired on local stations: Opening Minds and Ending Stigma
* 2016 National Council Award of Excellence for having trained over 10,000 community members in Mental Health First Aid
* Finding over $20 million to provide a dollar an hour wage increase for direct care staff
* Integrating Substance use services and then redirecting $3 million from bureaucracy to enhanced service in the process
* Producing a Quality Care Task Force report to enhance the quality of their residential settings.
* Tapped by U.S. Senator Stabenow to contribute to the national mental health scene in shaping the Excellence in Mental Health Act
Simply stated I am grateful for the significant contributions Tom Watkins and the team he has assembled is making to the public mental health system in Michigan. I am pleased to publicly say “thank you”.
We can all be proud of the job DWMHA is doing.
If It’s Not Broke…
Yet the folks in Lansing are now fiercely debating a section in the Governor’s 2016-2017 budget that transfers the Community Mental Health Medicaid dollars – $2.4 billion – over to private insurance companies and the Medicaid Health Plans.
I can’t speak as to the operations of the State’s other public Community Mental Health Agencies/ Authorities but with the leadership and success that DWMHA has had and the national recognition for the innovative programs it is delivering, it doesn’t seem logical to be giving these precious dollars to for profit institutions with no experience in treating those most vulnerable in our society.
Call your legislator and ask them to never take the community, compassion and mission from community mental health
Phil Cavanagh is a former Wayne County Commissioner and State Representative who served on the Governor’s Mental Health and Wellness Commission. He is an attorney and President/ CEO of MI Strategic Solutions, LLC
Philip Cavanagh, President/CEO MI Strategic Solutions, LLC
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