Community mental health programs in Calhoun, Washtenaw, and St. Clair Counties provide promising blueprints for meeting people where they are, when they need it most.
Across Michigan,
community mental health (CMH) agencies are redefining crisis response through deep partnerships with EMS, law enforcement, and fire departments. These cross-sector collaborations have become a vital part of Michigan’s evolving approach to mental health care.
Summit Pointe’s CIT model in Calhoun County
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Jeannie GoodrichFor Jeannie Goodrich, CEO of
Summit Pointe, a CMH in Calhoun County, the transformation began in 2017 with the launch of a
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program.
“We started this work in collaboration with the
Battle Creek Police Department, looking at how we can better support first responders who are often the first line of response to our residents in crisis,” says Goodrich.
The CIT program — a 40-hour training rooted in trauma-informed care and the Memphis model — has expanded to include EMS, hospital security, fire departments, and even casino security teams. While the training is formalized, Goodrich says the initiative has fostered a deeper cultural shift.
“Law enforcement and community mental health come from two very different cultures,” she says. “What we’ve built is a bridge between them, working together to serve the same residents.”
Across the state, these partnerships reflect a broader shift away from criminalizing mental illness toward compassionate, coordinated care. Historically,
emergency rooms and jails have functioned as the primary points of care for individuals experiencing mental health crises — settings that frequently lack the specialized resources or trained staff necessary to provide appropriate treatment. By embedding mental health professionals into first response systems, CMHs are not only easing the burden on law enforcement, but also creating safer, more effective interventions for vulnerable residents. This shift aligns with national recommendations for behavioral health crisis care, which emphasize community-based, person-centered approaches over institutional responses.
That bridge is reinforced by a dedicated CIT liaison, a retired detective who now works directly with officers, corrections staff, and community partners to support the integration of mental health principles into law enforcement responses. The result, Goodrich says, has been a documented reduction in use-of-force incidents, as well as streamlined pathways to services like Summit Pointe’s 24/7
First Step Psychiatric Urgent Care Center, which has a dedicated line for law enforcement.
Still, sustaining these efforts takes constant work.
“Staffing and funding are always ongoing barriers,” says Goodrich. “Our liaison helps make sure this work stays fortified after the training ends.”
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Left to right: Wyatt A. Riehl, supervisor Tri-Hospital EMS, Deb Johnson, CEO St. Clair County CMH, Kathleen Gallagher, chief clinical cfficer St. Clair County CMH, and Timothy Wilmoth, supervisor Tri-Hospital EMS.
Expanding crisis response in Washtenaw and St. Clair Counties
In Washtenaw County, Melisa Tasker, program administrator for
Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH), says the county has built a robust, multi-layered response system involving mobile crisis teams, co-response units, and embedded clinicians.
“Our community response team is made up of master’s-level clinicians and peer support specialists,” says Tasker. “They respond to calls alongside law enforcement or independently, providing everything from safety planning to authorizing inpatient treatment.”
Since 2022, WCCMH has deployed two co-response units, with mental health staff riding in sheriff's patrol cars during full shifts. The team can respond to dispatch calls or flag mental health-related incidents on their own.
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Melisa Tasker“It’s been really great,” says Tasker. “Our goal is to have a mental health professional involved in all crisis scenarios.”
This integrated approach extends beyond the initial encounter. Tasker says WCCMH uses a stabilization model that tracks every call and provides daily follow-up until the crisis is resolved.
“We’re doing follow-up visits, transportation to appointments, linking people to housing and food — whatever they need to engage in mental health treatment,” she says.
Tasker says the team’s focus on follow-up has helped address the root causes of recurring mental health crises.
“We find that a lot of folks find themselves in a mental health crisis because of a psychosocial stressor,” she says.
In practice, that means the team steps in to help with transportation, housing, access to food, and other basic needs that could otherwise block someone’s ability to stabilize. This holistic model not only connects people to care, but actively removes barriers that often lead to repeated crisis calls or emergency room visits.
That wraparound approach is mirrored at
St. Clair County CMH, where CEO Debra Johnson and Chief Clinical Officer Kathleen Gallagher say their team has spent years building close ties with public safety officials.
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Deb Johnson“We’ve been working and partnering with all of those entities for years and years,” says Johnson. “It started with critical incident stress debriefings and evolved from there.”
Today, St. Clair County CMH has an embedded clinician based at the
Port Huron Police Department who responds to calls in real time. Gallagher says the department has embraced mental health training and even created a wellness room and support dog program for officers.
“It’s a real collaborative process,” she says.
Mobile crisis units respond 24/7, and the agency offers mental health training to all new officers and ongoing sessions for departments across the county. Johnson says trust is the foundation of their success.
“We do what we say we’re going to do, and so do they,” she says. “That’s how we built trust over years, and we maintain it by showing up.”
The outcomes are clear. Gallagher says these partnerships have reduced incarceration for people experiencing mental illness, increased hospitalizations when
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Kathleen Gallagherappropriate, and expanded access to care regardless of insurance status.
“That’s been a big benefit,” Gallagher says. “Now we’re able to serve the broader community, including those without Medicaid coverage.”
A common thread
All three counties share a common thread: strong relationships built on shared goals and a commitment to showing up.
“If we just start with a desire to work together to support our residents,” says Goodrich, “that’s the best way to break down barriers.”
These programs, these CMH leaders say, offer a framework that can be adapted to other communities across the state. While resources and staffing may vary by region, the underlying principles — relationship-building, coordinated care, and sustained follow-up — remain universal. As Michigan continues to evaluate its behavioral health infrastructure, models like those in Calhoun, Washtenaw, and St. Clair Counties provide promising blueprints for meeting people where they are, when they need it most.
Tasker agrees
“At the end of the day, we’re all seeing the same people,” she says. “If we work together, we can make sure they get in the right door — whether that’s mental health care, housing, or just someone to listen.”
Dr. Brianna Nargiso, a graduate of Howard University and Mercer University, specializes in media, journalism, and public health. Her work has appeared in The Root, 101 Magazine, and Howard University News Service, covering profiles, politics, and breaking news. A Hearst journalism award nominee and active member of the National Association for Black Journalists, she has also worked with Teach for America and the Peace Corps. A doctoral graduate of American University, Brianna is dedicated to advancing social justice, public health and education on a global scale.
Photos by Leslie Cieplechowicz
The MI Mental Health series highlights the opportunities that Michigan's children, teens, and adults of all ages have to find the mental health help they need, when and where they need it. It is made possible with funding from the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, Center for Health and Research Transformation, LifeWays, Michigan Health and Hospital Association, Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority, OnPoint, Sanilac County Community Mental Health, St. Clair County Community Mental Health, Summit Pointe, and Washtenaw County Community Mental Health and Public Safety Preservation Millage.