Senator Stabenow Highlights Expansion of Comprehensive Community Mental Health and Addiction Services for Kent County Residents

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – Today, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow was in Grand Rapids to highlight her efforts to transform the way we deliver comprehensive behavioral health services in our country and what this transformation means for residents in Kent County. Stabenow toured Network180 and met with their service providers and partners. A photo of her visit can be found here.

Since 2018, Stabenow’s efforts have resulted in $112 million in federal funding for 24 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Michigan, including at least $2 million in new federal funding for Network180 to expand local services.

“For too long, our country has funded health care above the neck differently than health care below the neck. The COVID-19 crisis has shown a spotlight on the urgent need for high quality, comprehensive community mental health and addiction services. We are transforming the way we deliver these services in Michigan and across the country by funding behavioral health services the same way we fund physical health services. Network180 is an important part of this transformation,” said Senator Stabenow. 

“Thanks to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model created out of Senator Stabenow’s legislation, we’ve been able to expand our continuum of services to people we previously weren’t able to help, breaking down barriers to open critical behavioral health care to more people,” said Bill Ward, Executive Director of Network180. “Since July 1 of last year, we’ve served 3928 individuals through the CCBHC and experienced a decrease in spending on intensive services. For people new to the CCBHC who previously received crisis services, the average cost per person decreased from $11,591 to $3,021. This is because the CCBHC allows us to help people when they first need it, rather than waiting until they are in crisis to be able to serve them.”

“CCBHC has improved access and reduced stigma for this group of business owners within the Hispanic community in West Michigan. It is our hope that with ongoing access to the support afforded by CCBHC, this will continue to have a positive impact for their community and others,” Andres Ortiz-Estevez, Case Manager, Network180 Integrated Behavioral Health Center.

“For the Mobile Crisis Response team, becoming a CCBHC means that we are able to serve all populations in Kent County regardless of their insurance type. We can meet people where they are at when they experience a mental health crisis and work with them to ensure they are connected to appropriate services. Accessing Mental Health care should not be so difficult. CCBHC can help with that,” Stephanie Barrette, Mobile Crisis Response Manager.

In 2014, Senator Stabenow authored and passed her bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act with Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO). It was the biggest step forward in expanding community mental health and addiction services in decades. Her legislation created high quality standards for services and a nationwide demonstration program that is setting the standard for care and permanently closing the gap in funding between physical and behavioral health care in communities around the country. With Senator Stabenow’s leadership and support, Michigan was selected for this demonstration program in 2020.

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