Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Michigan

There’s a way to get affordable mental health care that you might not know about. That’s Michigan’s mental health system.

If you qualify, you can get mental health care at a community mental health program for a small co-pay or low sliding-scale fee. But even if you don’t qualify for services at a state-funded provider, Michigan’s system can still give you information, referrals to local providers, and other essential help for free.

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If you’re in a hurry and want to get the most important information about what’s available in the Michigan mental health system and who it’s for, you can read our quick start guide below.

To learn more about public mental health services in Michigan, keep reading. We’ve done the research to uncover essential facts about who’s eligible, what services you can get, when to go, where to call, and how it works so you can decide if Michigan’s mental health system might be right for you.

Who Is Eligible?

You should consider looking into the Michigan mental health system if you (or a loved one) are having a mental health crisis, have a severe mental health condition, have Medicaid, or have a limited income.

Everyone in Michigan can use the state-funded mental health emergency response system. If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can call a state or local crisis line to get the help you need, quickly.

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Public mental health services are usually the best option if you’re having a mental health crisis and need help right away.

State mental health programs are required to provide mental health crisis response services and are one of the fastest ways to get care when you’re having a mental health emergency.

The people who answer state and local crisis lines can provide caring attention and support as they help you determine the best response to a crisis, whether it’s inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.

Even if you’re not in crisis, you can call your local mental health hotline for information about affordable mental health services in your area. When you call, you can find out whether you might qualify for state-funded mental health services, schedule an assessment, or get free information about other affordable local providers.

Other parts of the system have stricter eligibility requirements. You either need to have Medicaid or a serious mental health condition (a diagnosable condition that affects your daily functioning) to qualify for public outpatient mental health care in most Michigan counties. However, more people have a qualifying condition than realize it. Don’t assume you’re not eligible!

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In most cases, you either have to have Medicaid or a serious mental illness (SMI) to be eligible for services at a Michigan community mental health services program (CMHSP).

Serious mental illness is usually defined as a condition that causes you severe distress, limits your ability to function, makes it hard for you to live independently without support, or puts you at risk of hospitalization. Conditions that can qualify as SMI include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.

This list is not exhaustive, however, and other conditions qualify. Some counties simply require that you have a mental health condition, so it’s worth calling your CMHSP to check.

Public outpatient mental health services in Michigan are provided by community mental health services programs (CMHSPs).

One of the most important requirements you need to meet to get services at a CMHSP is to be a resident of the county or region it serves.

It’s a great option if you’re a county resident with a public insurance plan. If you qualify for Medicaid and have a mental health condition, you’re likely to be eligible for services at your local CMHSP.

If you have Medicaid or qualify for Medicaid, you’re eligible for public mental health services as long as those services are medically necessary. Services are considered medically necessary when you have a mental health condition that impacts your well-being and when that condition will not improve without treatment.

If you don’t have Medicaid, though, that’s okay. If you have a qualifying mental health condition, most CMHSPs also offer services for affordable sliding-scale fees.

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Medicaid is a great way to access the public mental health system in Michigan. Not only do all CMHSPs accept it, but you can also use it to get services at other providers.

Michigan accepted federal Medicaid expansion in 2014, so you’re eligible for Medicaid if your income is 138 percent of the federal poverty level or less. You may also qualify based on a combination of your income, your medical history, and your mental health condition.

If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible, it’s worth looking into. You can apply for Medicaid in person, by phone, or online. To learn more, you can go to your local Department of Human Services office or fill out an online application on the MI Bridges page or Healthcare.gov.

In general, community mental health services programs aren’t the best place to go if you have mild mental health issues and are covered by a private insurance plan.

If you have private insurance, most CMHSPs in Michigan will direct you to find mental health providers through your insurance network. However, they will make exceptions if you need specialty services they offer that you can’t easily find elsewhere or that you can’t use your insurance to get.

Community mental health services programs also serve people without insurance. However, state funds for people without insurance are prioritized for people who are at risk of hospitalization or who need specialty or intensive services. So, if you don’t have SMI or Medicaid, you’re likely to be referred to another community provider by a CMHSP.

If you have a severe mental health condition, have recently been hospitalized for mental health reasons, are at risk of hospitalization, or have been homeless because of a mental health condition, you should definitely call your local CMHSP. Their specialized services are designed to help you address these challenges and get the support you need to regain stability while living at home in your local community.

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Community mental health programs in Michigan are great places to find specialized and intensive mental health services like case management and day treatment that can be hard to find anywhere else. These specialty programs can give you extra help when you’re dealing with severe symptoms.

You may not need to have a serious mental health condition to qualify for services at a CMHSP if you meet income eligibility requirements. You may also qualify if you have a substance use disorder.

You can find the number for your CMHSP in the directory below. We encourage you to call even if you think you might not be eligible. Even if the program can’t admit you or doesn’t offer the service you want, they can probably still help you.

The people who work at CMHSPs are knowledgeable about local resources and will often give you free information or even referrals to other affordable providers, including local non-profits that provide free or low-cost counseling.

Where Do You Call to Get Started?

The easiest way to learn more about state mental healthcare in Michigan is to call your local CMHSP or crisis line. You can find those numbers in the directory in the next section.

There are also many numbers you can call for help no matter where you are in Michigan. You can find the numbers for statewide helplines and hotlines in the information box directly below.

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The statewide Michigan mental health crisis hotline is 988.

The Crisis Text Line for the state of Michigan is 741741.

For help and referrals for mental health and many other needs, you can also call 211.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline is 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).

You can reach the non-emergency NAMI Michigan Helpline by calling (517) 485-4049 or (800) 331-4264.

If you just need to talk to someone, you can call the Michigan Peer Warmline from 10AM to 2AM any day of the week at (888) 733-7753.

You can contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which manages Michigan’s state mental health system, by calling (517) 241-3740.

Public mental health services in Michigan are managed on the state level by the Bureau of Specialty Behavioral Health Services in Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services. For general information about Michigan’s mental health system, you can contact MDHHS at (517) 241-3740.

However, you’ll probably get the best results by calling a state or local crisis line or by calling your local CMHSP directly. You can find the contact information for your local programs in the directory below.

Michigan CMHSP Directory

Public outpatient mental health services in Michigan are provided by community mental health services programs (CMHSPs).

There are 83 counties in Michigan and 46 CMHSPs that serve those counties. Each CMHSP has a main phone number you can call to get information about mental health services as well as a crisis line you can call to get help in a crisis.

The Michigan mental health system is also administered by 10 managed care organizations called Pre-Paid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs). Each PIHP manages a network of community-based mental health providers in the region that includes both CMHSPs and smaller private providers.

These affiliated providers usually accept Medicaid, offer affordable sliding-scale fees, or help people who might otherwise have difficulty accessing the services they need. The admission criteria for private providers included in PIHP networks tend to be less strict than the criteria for CMHSPs.

You can find the contact information for your region’s PIHP, CMHSP, and affiliated private mental health providers in the directory below, as well as the number for your local mental health crisis line.

If you need information after hours or aren’t sure whether you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, it’s okay to call a crisis line for help. The staff who answer are trained to quickly figure out what you need and can tell you what steps you need to take to connect with the right services.

Also Consider: Federally Qualified Health Centers

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another great way to get affordable publicly-funded mental health services in Michigan.

These federally-funded programs provide cutting-edge care in places where good primary healthcare was once hard to find. Most provide integrated care, meaning you can get primary medical and mental health services at the same location.

Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers low sliding-scale fees if you don’t have insurance. Their eligibility requirements are generally less strict than the requirements for the state-funded system.

You can search for FQHCs near you by using the online search tool on the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration website.

Troubleshooting Guide

The state mental health system is complicated and can be confusing to navigate. If you’re having any issues, we’re here to help. Here are some of our solutions to common problems you might experience.

If you’ve run into a problem that we haven’t addressed, don’t give up. Call someone at the program (or a state or local mental health hotline) and tell them what’s going on.

You’re much more likely to get the help you need when you advocate for yourself and are persistent. Tell the person you talk to what you need or what problem you’re having.

If they don’t help the first time, call them back and tell them. If you keep calling and keep calm and focused, you should eventually get through to someone who can help you.

Deep Dive: How Does the System Work?

To understand Michigan’s mental health system, it helps to understand how it started and how it’s changed since then.

Public mental health services have been around for a surprisingly long time. But for over a hundred years in America, the only way to get them was in a psychiatric hospital.

In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about mental health care. Conditions in psychiatric hospitals were getting worse and new medications made it possible to provide mental health treatment on an outpatient basis.

In response, new laws were passed that required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. The most important was the Community Mental Health Act, which President John F. Kennedy signed into law in 1963.

DEEP DIVE

To learn more about what the public mental health system was like in the early days—and how psychiatric inpatient care has evolved since then—you can read our article “Do Insane Asylums Still Exist? The Surprising Past and Present.”

To learn more about what inpatient mental health treatment is like now, and the differences between how it works in general hospitals and specialized psychiatric facilities, you can read our article “How Inpatient Mental Health Treatment Works.”

Many state mental health programs trace their origins back to the 1960s when these important changes started to happen. Michigan is no exception.

In fact, Michigan passed its own state mental health law, the Community Mental Health Services Act, in 1963, the same year the federal Community Mental Health Act was passed.

Michigan’s first community mental health law encouraged cities and counties across the state to develop local community-based mental health programs. The state’s 1974 Mental Health Code made these recommendations into requirements by defining core minimum mental health services that each county had to provide.

In 1995, Michigan passed a sweeping reform law that completely overhauled its public mental health system. The new law transformed community mental health services programs from government-run agencies into independent organizations as part of a shift toward privatization and managed care.

That year, Michigan also established new Medicaid managed mental health care plans called Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs). To this date, Michigan’s public mental health system is still made up of a network of CMHSPs and PIHPs. There are currently 46 CMHSPs and 10 PIHPs in Michigan.

DEEP DIVE

The Bureau of Specialty Behavioral Health Services in Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services oversees Michigan’s mental health system on the state level.

Michigan’s state mental health department focuses on statewide policy and planning and administering funds to regional mental health departments and organizations. It also runs the state’s four inpatient psychiatric hospitals.

On the local and regional level, publicly-funded mental health services in Michigan are managed by community mental health services programs (CMHSPs) and Medicaid managed care organizations called Pre-Paid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs). There are 46 CMHSPs and 10 PIHPs in Michigan.

Except in Michigan’s three most populous counties (Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland), PIHPs and CMHSPs are separate organizations. While PIHPs develop and oversee local networks of Medicaid-funded mental health providers, CMHSPs directly provide state-funded specialty and outpatient mental health services.

Many CMHSPs in Michigan offer counseling and other outpatient care. However, funds are limited and services are prioritized for people who have severe mental illness. So, PIHPs and CMHSPs contract and collaborate with other local providers to deliver state-funded services.

Independent clinics and practitioners who contract with the state often accept a wider range of clients than CMHSPs, including people with mild or moderate mental health needs. Many accept Medicaid and other insurance plans and offer affordable sliding scale fees.

For decades, Michigan’s mental health system has been recognized as one of the best in the nation. However, Michigan mental health advocates started to worry that the state was losing ground after making several cuts to funding for public mental health services throughout the 2010s.

Access to services has become more limited in the last decade as Michigan’s PIHPs and CMHSPs have increasingly focused on providing services to people who have or who qualify for Medicaid. However, while they have been reduced, some funds remain to help cover the cost of care for people without insurance who don’t qualify for Medicaid.

Michigan has recently made significant efforts to increase funding and access for mental health care. The state is using mental health budget increases to enhance the statewide 988 crisis line, which was launched in 2022; to open new crisis stabilization units; and to expand services at CMHSPs and other community providers so that they meet the federal criteria to be designated as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs).

You can use these new resources to get the care you need. If you’re in crisis or not sure where to go, you can start by calling 988 or a local crisis line—the people who answer know how the system works and will help you get where you need to go, whether that’s to a crisis stabilization unit, a CMHSP, or a private therapy provider.

Conclusion

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 46 percent of people in Michigan who have mental health conditions get treatment for them. Many of them qualify for public mental health services but don’t know about them.

You can make a difference by reaching out and connecting with local mental health resources to get the care you need. If you’re not sure whether you qualify for Michigan state mental health services, call your local CMHSP or a state or local crisis line. You may find out you can get mental health services through a state-funded program or that there’s another affordable option nearby.

The most important thing is to get started—the help you need may be only a call or click away.

Are You Thinking of Online Therapy? Start Here to Get Matched with a Licensed Therapist Right For You.

Therapy with No Waiting Rooms or Driving. Take a quick quiz about your preferences and needs and get matched to a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Michigan

Are You Thinking of Online Therapy? Start Here to Get Matched with a Licensed Therapist Right For You.

Have you been in therapy before?

Quick Start Guide

Who Is Eligible?

PRO TIP

Use the State System When You're in Crisis

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What Is Serious Mental Illness?

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Check If You're Eligible for Medicaid

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Check Out the State System If You Need Specialized Services

Where Do You Call to Get Started?

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Important Numbers in Michigan

Michigan CMHSP Directory

Michigan Clinics and Crisis Lines

Upper Peninsula Clinics and Crisis Lines

Northern Michigan Clinics and Crisis Lines

Western Michigan Clinics and Crisis Lines

Central Michigan Clinics and Crisis Lines

East and Southeast Michigan Clinics and Crisis Lines

Also Consider: Federally Qualified Health Centers

Troubleshooting Guide

Problems and Solutions

Deep Dive: How Does the System Work?

DEEP DIVE

For More Information

DEEP DIVE

What Is the Structure of the Michigan Mental Health System?

Conclusion

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