The Oakland County liaison committee spent much of its meeting reviewing scheduled reappointments to the Oakland County Community Mental Health board (OCHN) and how the county should vet and monitor board members.

Commissioners debated whether long-serving appointees should be required to provide periodic reports and whether vacant seats should be openly solicited. Chair members said several appointments expire in March and recommended soliciting applicants for two positions (a general public seat and a primary consumer seat) ahead of that timeline.

Why it matters: OCHN oversees mental health services and receives county funding; commissioners and public commenters said the board’s composition and oversight can affect service quality and local contracts.

Public comment highlighted the stakes. Heather Ray, CEO of Common Ground, urged commissioners to scrutinize future appointees and asked for a stronger board that questions the CEO and provider relationships. “The current board needs to be stronger,” Ray said, adding that the public mental health system has faced lawsuits and difficult provider relationships in recent years.

Sheila Barrett, executive director of executive operations and board liaison for OCHN, defended the existing board’s diligence and fiscal responsibility, saying, “They’re not a yes board.”

Commissioners also considered moving an existing appointee, Jennifer Korenchek, into a mental-health-provider slot and reappointing several members (Sarah Guadalupe and Pastor Jones among those named). The committee asked staff to open recruitment for the remaining slots and confirmed that applications already submitted would be considered.

Next steps: The committee agreed to follow a consistent application process so reappointments are supported by up-to-date application materials and to request brief reports from appointees in future meetings. A separate convention-authority reappointment was postponed so the appointee can present a short update before the committee acts.

Community voices and process: Commissioners emphasized both due diligence and fairness—saying incumbents may reapply but should provide current information so the committee can judge each candidate on the record. Staff said applications for current candidates are attached to the agenda packet for review.