Beginning January 1, 2022, Washtenaw County began utilizing a single 24/7 hotline, 734-544-3050, for any resident in need of substance use treatment support or information.The hotline is the same one used for mental health treatment support. Calls are answered by licensed mental health and substance use professionals at Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH), the … Read more
In 2021, for the third time, Michigan Medicine, Saint Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, and Saint Joseph Mercy Chelsea hospitals collaborated on a joint community health needs assessment (CHNA) and investment implementation plan for Washtenaw County. The needs assessment is part of a strategic process used to identify the most pressing health needs of a community. … Read more
Vaccination is safe, effective, and free—and widely available. The COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended for everyone age 5 and up, while the flu vaccine is recommended for everyone age 6 months and up. And our health department is offering both at the same time. Take a look at our vaccine infographic and share with others.
Concentrate—an online publication that regularly reports on the people, programs, and organizations that are making a positive difference in our community—recently published an article about the WHI’s 10th anniversary and history of the collaborative. The story highlights how the WHI’s work has evolved since 2011, when it formed to help county leaders prepare to implement … Read more
This October, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair Maria Alfonso met with Mark Creekmore, treasurer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Washtenaw County (NAMI WC), to discuss his journey through juvenile corrections and the field of mental health, learning from past mistakes, and why he believes collaboration is essential for tackling our biggest challenges. Q. What … Read more
Less than ten months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, Washtenaw County leaders came together to start planning for implementation. It would be three years until the new Act would be fully implemented, but the group wanted to understand how many Washtenaw County residents were uninsured, how many would be newly eligible … Read more
This September, WHI Communications Committee Co-Chair Liz Conlin met with Catherine McClary, treasurer of Washtenaw County, to discuss her multifaceted career, including her early history of working for women’s health—both in our county and nationally—and current aspiration to make Washtenaw County a more equitable community by dismantling structural inequalities. Q. You’re a finance person. Can … Read more
Year joined WHI: 2015 Key focus area: Long term treatment services for people experiencing addiction and those in recovery. Mission: To be a place where people experiencing addiction can go for help, regardless of their drug of choice or ability to pay for treatment. Description of services: Dawn Farm offers a continuum of long-term treatment … Read more
By the end of the decade, one in four residents in Washtenaw County will be age 60 or over. “The senior population is growing by approximately 2,500 more people every year,” says Jim McGuire, director of research, policy, and advocacy for the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, “and there are now more seniors than children … Read more
This August, the Washtenaw Health Initiative’s Opioid Project hosted a weeklong social media campaign leading up to International Overdose Awareness Day—a day meant to raise awareness about overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related death, and acknowledge the grief of families.The group pulled together overdose awareness and educational materials—with a focus on harm reduction messaging and … Read more