Ottawa County commissioners voted 6-5 to submit an application to the state to become a mental health authority. That vote allows county administrators to create a transition plan over the next few months.
If the state approves the move, it would transition the Community Mental Health department as a county agency, making it a separate entity.
CMH is mostly funded by Medicaid, but Ottawa County officials say the money paid into the department falls below its budget.
As an authority governed by a board of directors, Ottawa County would not have to use general fund dollars to cover budget deficits. Instead, the state would be liable.
According to the county’s 2024 CMH annual report, the department served around 4,500 individuals that year. Among those, over 1,800 were adults with mental illness, 1,040 were adults with substance use disorders, over 900 were children with emotional issues, and over 700 were people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human services could take up to a year to approve the county’s plan.
In Michigan, only five counties are not part of an authority.
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