Our Story

Mission Statement

The Mental Health Association in Michigan's mission is to promote quality mental health and substance abuse disorder supports and services and the availability of mental health treatment through advocacy and education. 

What We Do

MHAM's vision is for equality, rights, the fair treatment and maximum quality of life for all those affected by mental illness, their caregivers, family and friends. As one of the most recognized advocacy organizations for people living with mental illness in the state of Michigan, we are well placed to make a direct impact on care people receive.

But, we have a much larger vision too, to transform at every level the way our state and nation approaches mental illness. Every year, our diverse range of information and support helps tens of thousands of people get through crises, live independently and feel they do not have to face mental illness alone.



MHAM's primary role is to act as the "eyes and ears" for its constituents regarding state and/or national public policy initiatives that may negatively or positively impact their interests. Part of MHAM's mission is to ensure those individuals who are affected by public policy changes have a "seat at the table."

MHAM's Story

MHAM is the state affiliate for the Virginia-based, national organization, Mental Health America (MHA), formerly known as the National Mental Health Association.

Founded in 1909 by Clifford W. Beers, Mental Health America is the nation's leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health for everyone. MHA's work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated care, services, and supports for those who need them, with recovery as the goal. During his stays in public and private institutions, Beers witnessed and was subjected to horrible abuse. From these experiences, Beers set into motion a reform movement that took shape and is known today as Mental Health America.



MHA's programs and initiatives fulfill its mission of promoting mental health and preventing mental illness through advocacy, education, research and services. MHA's national office and its 200+ affiliates and associates around the country work every day to protect the rights and dignity of individuals with lived experience and ensure that peers and their voices are integrated into all areas of the organization.

MHAM Annual Report

Click the button below to download an annual report.

History

The Mental Health Association in Michigan (MHAM) is a membership organization representing a broad base of people working together as an advocate for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders. MHAM incorporated as a non-profit entity under Michigan statutes in 1937 and holds 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit status with the Internal Revenue Service. MHAM maintains a non-partisan posture in its social action, public efforts, and community education. MHAM is the state affiliate of the National organization, Mental Health America.

MHAM is the state's oldest non-profit organization and non-governmental agency and is concerned with the broad spectrum of mental illness across all age groups. The Association's mission is to promote quality mental health and substance use disorder supports and services and the availability of mental health treatment through advocacy and education. We do this through policy analysis and advocacy with government, primarily at the state government level in Lansing. We also work with many partners to host in-person events and webinars that bring public health information and educational opportunities to as many people as possible.

Accomplishments

MHAM has worked to expand and protect the rights of people with mental health conditions and improve the systems that serve them. We know effective policies are only created when all stakeholders play a part in the process, so we advocate to make sure mental health is always a part of the conversation. Examples of MHAM's many accomplishments over its history are:

• Obtained passage of legislation in 1944 allowing social workers to provide services in schools.
• Stimulated a successful bond issue in the early 1950s to increase the number of state psychiatric hospitals and to provide funding for establishment of the Hawthorn Center inpatient program for children and the Lafayette Clinic in Detroit (research, training and care facility).
• Obtained the first public appropriation for community aftercare services in Michigan (early 1960s).
• Stimulated passage of the state's first community mental health law in 1963.
• Played a major role in adoption of the Michigan Mental Health Code (1974).
• Procured the first legislative appropriation for a specifically designated mental illness prevention line item in the state budget (1976).
• Drafted 1984 legislation setting governing standards for admission and discharge of children to and from psychiatric hospitals.
• Co-founded the Schizophrenics Anonymous self-help program (1985).
• Established and conducted the first community-based monitoring programs of residential settings for mental illness (1980s-90s).
• Played a major role in substantial re-tooling of Michigan's Mental Health Code (1994-95).
• Stimulated establishment of and served on gubernatorial Mental Health Commission in 2004. (Subsequently drafted the only laws to be enacted in follow-up of the Commission's work.)
• Drafted state law on open access to medications in the Medicaid program for mental illness and other high-risk conditions (2004).
• Co-authored state laws on advance psychiatric directives and assisted outpatient treatment (2004-05).
• Founded and maintained a statewide coalition (Michigan Partners in Crisis) on mental health-and-justice system issues (2008-present).
• Analyzed and developed recommended changes for over 100 state policies and operating procedures on correctional mental health care (2009-10).
• Surveyed Michigan judges and CMH programs to establish state baseline data on assisted outpatient treatment usage and perceptions; procured state legislation promoting jail diversion and Medicaid continuity for incarcerated individuals (2014).
• Served throughout 2016 on the state's work groups examining structure and funding for coordinated services to persons with mental illness who also have other medical conditions.
• Assisted in the passage of amendments to the Michigan Mental Health Code that advises a recipient of community mental health services of the opportunity to engage in mediation when there is a dispute regarding services (2019-2020).
• Worked collaboratively with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Governor's Office to ask for and create a statewide emotional support line for Michiganders who are struggling with COVID-19. The emotional support line, known as the stay well connected counseling line, was implemented by the state on May 15, 2020 based on a Federal grant (2020).
• Spearheaded and effort with other advocacy organizations to address issues relative to the potential for medical rationing due to COVID-19 and the negative impact that discrimination in medical treatment may have on persons with disabilities. A letter written by a collection of advocacy organizations and advocates to Governor Whitmer in late April of 2020 resulted in an Executive Order that spoke to medical rationing. MHAM and Disability Rights Michigan (formerly Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service) collaborated on a webinar about this issue that was hosted in early May (2020)
• Supported legislation (HB 5832) that would create crisis stabilization units for individuals experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms (2020).
• Host monthly community educational webinars. Some topics have been on youth suicide, coping with anxiety, children's mental health, BIPOC, eating disorders, transgender and identity, and addressing the intersection of the criminal justice system and mental illness, to name a few (2020 - Present).
• MHAM was awarded the Silver Bell Seal designation by Mental Health America for 2023 and 2024. This is a national certification program which recognizes employers committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces.

One of MHAM's priorities is to bring more programming services to constituents that provide information and coping strategies around common struggles that affect mental health.