Oakland Community Health Network reports ARPA-funded crisis response, school mental-health work to county commissioners

Oakland Community Health Network told the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on April 1 that American Rescue Plan Act funds have supported several countywide behavioral‑health initiatives, including co‑responders embedded with law enforcement, crisis intervention team (CIT) training for officers, mental‑health school navigators and co‑pay/deductible assistance for families.

Frances Carley, director of strategic initiatives at Oakland Community Health Network, said the agency operates as both the Community Mental Health Special Services Program (CMHSP) and one of Michigan’s 10 prepaid inpatient health plans (PIHPs), which lets it reinvest Medicaid dollars locally and partner with county departments. "We are part of the behavioral health authority and system that has been operating in Michigan and Oakland County for more than 60 years," Carley said.

The presentation's nut graf: the ARPA funds have supported direct services and training aimed at diverting people in crisis from arrest or unnecessary hospitalization, expanding school‑based access to behavioral‑health care, and covering co‑pays and deductibles that otherwise impede treatment.

Siri Sikora, who presented the justice‑system initiatives, said the co‑responder program began in August 2021 and pairs clinicians with law enforcement to respond to identified behavioral‑health 911 calls. Sikora reported the program currently has nine co‑responders plus a supervisor and an administrative assistant; under ARPA the program funds a supervisor, an admin assistant and two co‑responders, with contracts in process to fund additional positions. She said the nine co‑responders are embedded across 16 communities and that those four departments alone made more than 800 referrals in a recent six‑month period. Sikora said program outcomes across departments average 49% of people remaining in the community, a 3% arrest rate and 21% transported to hospital for further evaluation.

Sikora also summarized CIT work, saying ARPA funds have enabled reimbursement for law‑enforcement backfill so officers can attend 40‑hour training. She said the county has held 13 CIT trainings (11 adult, two youth) and trained 261 officers under the ARPA funding, and that the county hired a CIT coordinator to support the program.

Trudina (last name not stated), who described the mental‑health school navigator program, said the program started in August 2021 to increase access to behavioral‑health services for students and families. She said ARPA supports four navigators and one school mental‑health referral specialist; the program has operated with three navigators and one referral specialist to date. According to the presentation, school navigator referrals rose from 213 in fiscal 2023 to 591 in fiscal 2024, and the navigators have engaged 398 of the county’s 458 schools (public, charter and private) since launch. Trudina said the navigators identified a service gap for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and have been working with school transition coordinators for ages 18–21.

Carley and staff also described two co‑pay/deductible funds: an Oxford fund serving people affected by the Oxford school shooting and an All‑County fund for other families facing co‑pays, coinsurance or deductibles that block access to continued care. Carley said, as of the presentation, 191 people had been assisted through the Oxford fund and 325 through the All‑County co‑pay/deductible assistance.

On sustainability and timing, presenters said ARPA funds remain available through December 2026 and that some program budgets, notably the mental‑health school navigator funding, will be exhausted sooner than others. Sikora reported the co‑responder initiative has filled four of seven positions funded for the program and expects to fill remaining positions over the coming year as local partner contracts are finalized.

Commissioners asked about timelines and spending. The board moved to accept the presentation; the motion was made by Commissioner Spitz and reported by Commissioner Powell. The board voice vote approved receipt of the information.

Ending: Commissioners and OCHN staff said they will continue conversations about sustaining the programs as ARPA timelines approach and as the county and its partners pursue other funding streams.