With funding from the millage and Washtenaw’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, the CARES team operates a 24/7 crisis line, answering questions about mental health or substance use concerns, conducting screenings for behavioral health needs, providing referrals for care, offering therapeutic support, and more.
Since 2022, the crisis line has also served as the county’s primary access point for all substance use treatment needs. The CARES team assesses need for substance use services through a universal screening tool, and refers callers to supportive services based on their individual needs.
To access the 24/7 hotline for mental health and substance use support, call 734-544-3050.
*This data uses WCCMH’s Fiscal Year (October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024)
The millage’s passage allowed Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH) to substantially increase behavioral health services to all Washtenaw County residents—regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
Since 2018—the year before millage funds were first distributed—WCCMH has increased its service capacity by 230%. Through the crisis line, telehealth, and face-to-face services, millage funds help individuals in urban and rural locations, with limited transportation options, and of all ages receive the care they need.
With millage funds, Washtenaw County Community Mental Health operates a mobile crisis response team, which goes to the homes of people experiencing a crisis and assists with their next steps.
Community members can call the millage funded 24/7 access line directly for assistance, or be referred to the hotline by the police for mental health-related incidents. The crisis team then responds to the individual’s needs, including face-to-face visits and referrals to clinicians and community resources.
The Washtenaw Health Project (WHP) is a nonprofit organization that works to help all residents—especially low-income residents and those with language barriers—access healthcare coverage and services.
With millage funds, WHP connects clients with therapeutic services and mental health resources—supporting them with care navigation through referrals, scheduling visits with mental health providers, and assisting them in healthcare enrollment. Additionally, WHP coordinates Latinx-focused teen empowerment and support groups at Ypsilanti High School and Huron High School.
With millage funds, the Community Family Life Center (CFLC) is working to provide mental health counseling to Black male youth, between the ages of 10 to 25, in the Ypsilanti area. CFLC aims to mitigate the impact of trauma and improve the mental health of Black male youth, filling gaps in care specifically targeted to this demographic.
In 2024, CFLC launched their I-AAM program (Interventions for African American Males), providing individual counseling and case management services, group therapy sessions, and behavioral health groups to their clients. Their counseling and programming emphasizes processing trauma, building coping and regulation skills, and educating clients on mental health and social determinants of health.
With support from the millage, Packard Health and kNEWjoy leveraged their partnership to launch a Black Male Mental Health Ambassadors program. The program seeks to empower Black men in the community to be advocates for mental health awareness and support, fostering dialogue, reducing stigma around mental health issues, and increasing access to resources and social support networks.
To launch the program, Packard Health and kNEWjoy recruited and trained ambassadors to become community advocates, began hosting community outreach events and peer support programming, and developed a curriculum with culturally sensitive and relevant information for Black boys and men in Washtenaw County.
