Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2021 

CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, wheatonb@michigan.gov    

Additional food assistance for 350,000 Michigan families in response to COVID-19 extended through April 

LANSING, Mich. – Approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access to additional food assistance benefits during April as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today.

Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance beginning in March 2020 – and now that is being extended for April 2021 with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card April 24-May 4.

Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month.

“Michigan will recover from the pandemic as more people received the safe and effective vaccine, said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “In the meantime, MDHHS will continue to help families affected by the pandemic put food on the table.”

More than 1.3 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program.

Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in April to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. This change only applies to customers not currently receiving the maximum benefit amount. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent close to 50 percent of the more than 709,000 Michigan households that received food assistance in January. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.

Below are the maximum allowable benefits for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:

• One Person: $234
• Two Persons: $430
• Three Persons: $616
• Four Persons: $782
• Five Persons: $929
• Six Persons: $1,114
• Seven Persons: $1,232
• Eight Persons: $1,408

The federal government is providing additional funding to states for food assistance under House Resolution 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or calling a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.

Customer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.

Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2021

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov

MDHHS issues RFP for youth suicide prevention programming

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide services aimed at reducing suicides among young adults.

The purpose of the Transforming Youth Suicide Prevention program is to decrease the rates of suicide in young adults aged 18–24 years old, not in a traditional college/university setting, by carrying out identification and early intervention projects, particularly for areas where the 2015-2019 suicide rate for the designated age group exceeds the national rate of 15.66 per 100,000 people.

The RFP seeks competitive plans for local projects that will expand services, prioritizing proposals that focus on suicide prevention among young adults, service counties that exceed the national rate of suicide, serve high-risk populations and incorporate health equity into their approach and outreach.

Funded applicants will receive ongoing technical assistance from the MDHHS project coordinator which include help with program start-up, reporting requirements and removing barriers to program implementation.

The award period begins Oct. 1, 2021 and ends Sept. 30, 2022.  MDHHS expects to award approximately $180,000 to up to three applicants, with a maximum of $60,000 per applicant.

Grant applications must be submitted electronically through the EGrAMS program by 3 p.m. on May 12, 2021.

For more information or to apply, visit the EGrAMS website and select “About EGrAMS” link in the left panel to access the “Competitive Application Instructions” training manual. The complete RFP can be accessed under the ‘Current Grants’ section under the “Public Health Administration” link and selecting the “TYSP-2022” grant program.