Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 27, 2024

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, [email protected]     

MDHHS office dedicated to supporting tribal partnerships
helps tribal citizens access services and resources
Office of Tribal Government Services & Policy expands to support Michigan tribes

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) continues to build relationships with federally recognized tribes in Michigan to advocate for their needs and assist their citizens through its Office of Tribal Government Services & Policy.

“MDHHS is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the sovereignty of tribal governments in Michigan, providing a clear path to accessing resources and continuing to strengthen our government-to-government relationships,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “We are proud of the important work done by the Office of Tribal Government Services & Policy.”

There are 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan – each a sovereign government with its own governing structure, culture, traditions, laws, regulations and policies. State government shares a responsibility with tribes to provide for and protect the health, safety and welfare of shared citizens.

The Office of Tribal Government Services & Policy is dedicated to working with tribal governments, their citizens and other Native American residents to address specific issues and ensure equity in the services MDHHS provides to all Native Americans in Michigan.

Key accomplishments of Office of Tribal Government Services & Policy include:

• Planned and executed a successful Tribal Health Care Workforce Summit designed to attract, retain and strengthen the health care workforce for tribal health centers and programs. It was attended by all 12 tribes and nearly all of Michigan’s colleges and universities as well as certain health professional associations. 
• Worked with the Community Engagement Unit in the MDHHS Division of Environmental Health to develop a protocol to notify and work with tribal governments when environmental hazards occur.
• Consulted with tribal staff to develop a Medicaid reimbursement initiative for doula services and a community health worker reimbursement initiative to reduce barriers and provide reimbursement for tribal health programs.
• Met with tribal leaders and frontline staff to share information and seek feedback from tribes about how the state should spend its opioid settlement dollars. Tribal Government Services & Policy staff will manage the release of FY 2025 opioid settlement funds to tribes.
• Worked with multiple MDHHS divisions and program offices to help them engage in successful consultations with tribal governments.
• Developed annual employee trainings to help employees better understand the unique working relationship with tribal governments.

New initiatives:

• Resume a workgroup with tribal governments to collaboratively build a waiver application for permission to provide Medicaid reimbursement for certain traditional Native American healing practices. This follows Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services approval of four state’s applications.
• Begin a workgroup to help ensure compliance with federal requirements on how to count or exclude cultural or other tribal incomes in the determination of eligibility and calculation of benefits provided by MDHHS.
• Serve on and support the Michigan Attorney General’s Murdered and Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force and provide comprehensive information and resources to victims and families at their request.

“The expansion of this office affirms our commitment to supporting strong and effective tribal relations in Michigan and the added staff will help us better serve tribal partners in the state,” said Lorna Elliott-Egan, director of the Office of Tribal Government Services & Policy. “Collaboration helps us work together. Working to expand our consultation efforts to make sure tribes are true partners in what we do has been a priority for the department during Director Hertel’s administration.”

In addition to Elliott-Egan, three employees make up the office who are all either an enrolled citizen or a descendant of one of Michigan’s 12 tribal governments. Each brings a deep understanding of tribal history and their own lived experiences and those of their ancestors and indigenous people. This deep level of understanding helps the department identify and address the health and social inequities that Native Americans continue to experience today. 

The office is comprised of:

Mary Calcatera, Technician

Mary Calcatera is an enrolled citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians with a degree in education from Michigan State University. Calcatera assists in tribal consultations, project planning and archival and research efforts. Calcatera’s technical expertise ensures the smooth development, design and management of the unit’s website and project planning to streamline operations and enhance workflow coordination. 

Chrystina (Tina) Lightfoot, Analyst and Advocate

Tina Lightfoot (Zhaawin Noden n’dizhnikaaz, Ma’iingan n’dodemishinaabe kwe n’daaw) is a descendant of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology/criminal justice from Central Michigan University. She lives and works in her tribal community in Mt. Pleasant. Lightfoot serves as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) policy analyst and advocate, acting as a liaison between the office, tribal programs and advocacy groups supporting MMIP victims and families. 

Isabelle Welsh, Departmental Specialist

Isabelle Welsh is an enrolled member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and affiliated with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She lives and works in her tribal community in Baraga. Welsh has a degree in social work from Northern Michigan University. She began her career at MDHHS in 2017 as a Native American outreach worker and began working within Tribal Government Services & Policy as an analyst in December 2022 when the new office was opened. She is currently the office’s specialist focused on food sovereignty and security initiatives services and elder services. 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 12, 2024

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, [email protected]     

Michigan’s overdose death rate declines nearly
five times faster than national average
While significant decline, racial disparities persist 

LANSING, Mich. – Overdose deaths in Michigan decreased by 5.7% in 2023, with 2,826 deaths provisionally recorded compared to 2,998 deaths in 2022, reported the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Additionally, MDHHS notes the overall overdose death rate has dropped from its peak of 31.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2021 to 28.2 in 2023.  

The decline marks progress in the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis in the state. Based on currently available data, the decline in Michigan from 2021 to 2023 is almost five times greater than the national decline seen in that same time frame.  

“Michigan is a leader in addressing opioid addiction and has been recognized for our harm reduction efforts by the National Governor’s Association,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “We will continue investing in programs that further our efforts to save lives by decreasing substance use disorders, expanding treatment options and improving recovery success.” 

The decline in the overdose death rate can be credited in part to public health measures like the launch of Michigan’s Naloxone Direct Portal, which provides the opioid overdose reversal medication at no charge to community groups and helps boost distribution of naloxone in high-risk areas. The state has also increased access to fentanyl and xylazine testing strips, enabling individuals who use drugs to detect these dangerous substances and reduce their risk of accidental overdose. 

While this data is promising, the racial gaps continue. Based on 2023 provisional data, Black residents are 2.8 times and American Indian/Alaska Native residents are 2.2 times more likely to die of an overdose than white residents.

“Public health officials, state agencies and community partners have been working tirelessly to reverse overdose trends,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “The harm-reduction tools we have implemented are saving lives, but we must ensure that their benefits are felt equally across all communities, particularly among those residents who are disproportionately affected.” 

The disparities in death rates reflect a broader systemic issue that is being addressed through targeted interventions in communities of color. MDHHS is taking a data-driven approach to ensure substance use disorder funding reaches communities with the highest need.  

“Limited access to care has been a key driver of racial disparities in Michigan communities, from the COVID pandemic to the opioid crisis,” said Tommy Stallworth, MDHHS senior advisor. “The state’s commitment to expanding funding for community-based and mobile health services is crucial. By including substance use disorder interventions and improving access to care in marginalized communities, the state is taking important steps toward addressing these disparities in a meaningful way.”  

As the state continues to combat the opioid crisis and substance use disorder (SUD), MDHHS and the Opioids Task Force prioritize implementing targeted strategies to address the unique needs of communities of color. This includes expanding access to life-saving resources, improving outreach and addressing social determinants of health that contribute to overdose risk. The state remains committed to reversing the harm caused by the overdose epidemic and will ensure that all communities, regardless of race, benefit from prevention efforts. 

Other recent key accomplishments and initiatives include: 

Workforce 

• Expanded the number of Medicaid SUD providers by removing barriers for providers and offering incentives such as loan repayment to launch or expand services.  
• Worked with physicians to increase the number of buprenorphine prescribers in the state.  

Reimbursement 

• Expanded Medicaid reimbursement for office-based treatment for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder in the primary care setting. 
• Removed the prior authorization requirement to prescribe medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) for Medicaid beneficiaries, allowing for a 20% increase in the last four years for the number MOUDs prescribed by primary care physicians.    

Community Investments 

• Distributed more than 1 million kits of naloxone in communities resulting in at least 21,642 overdose reversals since the launch of the order portal in 2020 to enable communities to obtain naloxone at no cost. 
• Launched early intervention treatment and referrals in select Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics and Child and Adolescent Health Centers. 
• Improved the system of care for pregnant individuals in northern Michigan by providing support and education for physicians in the Opioid Home Health network. 
• Supported substance-exposed babies and their families by expanding supports through rooming-in, which allows birthing individuals, caregivers and babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome to stay together during treatment. 
• Collaborated with Michigan Department of Corrections to support peers in parole/probation offices to assist individuals returning from incarceration. 
• Provided more than 20,000 rides for SUD-related services. Transportation has been identified as a barrier in almost every community engagement related to SUD.  
• Partnered with Michigan State Housing Development Authority to expand recovery housing to help meet the statewide demand. This resulted in an additional 27 recovery homes with 79 additional recovery beds, prioritizing counties and populations with the highest need. 
• Expanded opioid treatment capacity at 10 Michigan Department of Corrections prisons, which provide medications for opioid use disorder to 884 incarcerated individuals. 

More information about programming and resources can be found on the SUD Resources website. Information about how the state’s Opioid Healing and Recovering Fund is being spent can be found on the opioids settlement website.  

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 12, 2024

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, [email protected]     

Governor Whitmer, MDHHS and other state
organizations celebrate Family Caregiver Month  

LANSING, Mich. – As part of a national movement to honor and show support for family caregivers, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed November as Family Caregivers Month in Michigan. This effort raises awareness of the critical role family caregivers play in providing a broad range of assistance for older adults, service members, veterans, people with disabilities, and those with serious or chronic health conditions.

“An estimated 1.7 million family caregivers in our state step up every day to ensure their loved ones can live in their own homes and communities for as long as possible regardless of age or disability status,” said Elizabeth Hertel, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director. “We are committed to supporting these caregivers not only this month, but every month.”

“The Commission on Services to the Aging welcomes the Governor’s recognition of the important work done by family caregivers,” said Nancy Duncan, Commission on Services to the Aging Advocacy Committee chair. “Their care, love and dedication allow older adults to remain safely at home as they age.”

Resources for family caregivers include support groups, toolkits and workshops through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, advocacy organizations and community-based services. A Michigan Care Kit is available from Caring Across Generations and additional resources are available through the Caregiver Action Network and AARP Resources for Caregivers and their Families.

“Caregivers experience the impact of caring on their time, with implications for their health, family, work and personal and financial well-being,” said David LaLumia, 4AM executive director. “Caregivers deserve our gratitude and our support.  This month, we are pleased to recognize their many contributions to some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

“Family caregivers are the unsung heroes in our communities, providing essential care that enable loved ones to age with dignity at home,” said Paula D. Cunningham, AARP Michigan state director. “This month, and every month, we honor their dedication and recognize the invaluable support they offer to Michigan’s older adults and families.”

According to the Caregiver Action Network, more than half of those providing care in the United States do not recognize themselves as caregivers. Caregiving can include day-to-day support as well as periodic tasks such as attending doctor’s appointments, maintaining and assisting with medications and helping manage finances.

For more information on supporting caregivers, visit Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration (BPHASA).