Michigan is experiencing a mental health, substance use, and suicide crisis—and too many Michiganders aren’t getting the treatment they need.

• Half of adult Michiganders with a mental health condition did not receive treatment in the prior year.

• 15.99% of high school students in Michigan experienced major depression and 6 in 10 (60.3%) did not receive mental health services.

• In 2021, the equivalent of 11 Michiganders died every day by suicide or an opioid overdose.

Michigan has an opportunity to improve access to mental health and addiction treatment by addressing a critical policy gap.

Unfortunately, ambiguities in state law make it more difficult for plans to know when they are providing parity coverage and can result in people being denied or cut off too early from clinically appropriate mental health care.

With growing mental health needs, more children and adults are affected than ever. State agencies and budgets are also affected because, when people are untreated or undertreated for mental health and addictions, they’re at increased risk of:

• Unemployment;

• Housing insecurity;

• Interactions with law enforcement and the juvenile justice system;

• School absences, suspension and expulsion, and dropping out;

• Child welfare involvement;

• Avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalization; and

• Early deaths, such as overdoses, suicide, and untreated comorbid medical conditions.