For nearly seven years, a local property tax millage has helped reshape how Washtenaw County residents access mental health and behavioral health services, expanding care beyond traditional clinical settings and reaching people who previously may not have qualified for publicly funded treatment.
The Community Mental Health and Public Safety Preservation Millage was approved by Washtenaw County voters in 2017 by a 2-to-1 margin, with funding first becoming available in January 2019. The millage generates roughly $5 million to $7 million annually for Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH) and local organizations providing mental health and substance use treatment services. Since then, the investment has expanded the number of residents served while supporting crisis response, housing, youth programs, prevention efforts, and partnerships with community organizations.
For Marianne Udow-Phillips, founding executive director of the Center for Health and Research Transformation, the most significant change has been the expansion of who can access care.
“It’s really huge for just about everybody in the county,” Udow-Phillips says…