Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 9, 2024

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

Child welfare audit confirms major progress at MDHHS 

• Findings document “significant and measurable progress” from scathing Snyder-era audit.
• Hertel: “We’ll never stop transforming how we keep kids safe and families together.”
• Agency calls OAG’s lack of focus on MDHHS reforms “a disservice to the people of Michigan.”

LANSING, Mich. – A new state audit shows “significant and measurable progress” in how the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) investigates child abuse allegations, Director Elizabeth Hertel said today in response to the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) formal update to a 2018 audit that uncovered serious issues during the Snyder administration.

Of the OAG’s 17 findings, auditors found that MDHHS had fully or partially complied in 15 of them, an 88% success rate. MDHHS strongly disagreed with one of only two findings labeled as non-compliant and questioned why auditors focused on process and paperwork rather than progress made by MDHHS since the Snyder audit.

“These findings confirm our focus and fuel our resolve,” Hertel said. “We welcome the opportunity and responsibility to work with the legislature, law enforcement, judges and other partners to transform Michigan’s child welfare system into a national model for competence and caring.”

The audit represents a bold pattern of reform at MDHHS: Independent monitors recently found nearly 100% compliance for the timeliness and staffing of child abuse investigations. As a result, Judge Nancy G. Edmunds of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan signed a stipulated order to modify the Modified Implementation, Sustainability and Exit Plan (MISEP) that dramatically reduces the remaining requirements MDHHS must meet for the department to be released from court oversight.

Last Tuesday, at the most recent court conference, Edmunds determined that the state met the performance standards for six additional areas of oversight, moving these areas closer to the removal of court oversight, and praised MDHHS for making “tremendous progress.”

In 2018, the OAG issued a “scathing report” on Children’s Protective Services (CPS), a division of MDHHS, finding numerous and systemic deficiencies in the way child abuse investigations were conducted. Gov. Rick Snyder called the findings “unacceptable” and promised corrective action. A historically underfunded agency under federal court oversight since 2008, this was arguably the lowest point in the history of CPS and the broader child welfare system in Michigan.

Five years later, MDHHS is in a much stronger position, according to the audit and court oversight, thanks in part to the “Keep Kids Safe Action Agenda” shaped by Hertel after she was appointed in 2021.

Progress documented

The OAG’s report, which included agency responses, repeatedly shows progress from 2018 to 2023. According to the audit report, MDHHS:

• Increased the frequency and effectiveness of supervisory reviews of CPS investigation activities. While the 2018 audit found 82% of investigations were reviewed within 14 days and 85% of cases documented a consultation prior to disposition, both numbers jumped in the new audit – to 94% and 98%, respectively.
• Improved the agency’s use of a Central Registry clearance for people associated with CPS investigations, from 28% compliance to 86% compliance.
• Improved how CPS conducts background reviews of family members, from 48% compliance to 73% compliance.
• Improved documentation of communication with mandated reporters of child abuse, like police and teachers, from 31% compliance to 90% compliance.
• Made face-to-face contact with alleged child victims within 24 to 72 hours for 95% of the cases reviewed by the OAG. At times, extenuating circumstances, such as the inability to locate youth after multiple attempts, impacted staff’s ability to make timely face-to-face contact 100% of the time.
• Exceeded investigative performance standards required by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The OAG concluded that the department commenced 100% of required investigations within the required timeframes. MDHHS’ commencement policy requirements exceed best practices in other jurisdictions such as Washington, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

OAG focus flawed

Unfortunately, there are portions of the audit where the auditor focused on bureaucratic minutia rather than bottom-line results and improvements, the agency noted. In some cases, the auditor’s observations were agenda-driven and based on arbitrary standards, resulting in a biased report that attempts to mislead the public about the agency’s actual performance. Director Hertel also sent a letter to the OAG expressing her concerns with the audit process, highlighting these issues.

“We aren’t perfect. We have more work to do. But it’s a disservice to the people of Michigan to hold MDHHS accountable to disconnected administrative standards rather than our ability to keep kids safe and families together,” Hertel said.

Agency reforms paying off

MDHHS is an agency devoted to an important and challenging mission: Keeping kids safe and families together. Caseworkers balance these goals 24/7, sometimes in difficult conditions, as they investigate nearly 70,000 child abuse allegations per year. A champion of systemic reform, Hertel’s agenda is broader than the limited scope of state auditors. It addresses issues raised in the audit – and many more. The agenda includes:

Prevention:

• Investing millions of dollars to create more Family Resource Centers to work with families that are at-risk of abuse and neglect to meet their needs sooner. The investment allowed Michigan to become one of only five states to receive the Child Safety Forward grant from the federal Office of Victims of Crime. This project focused on reducing and preventing child deaths that result from crime.
• Created Family Impact Teams that embed an MDHHS family resource specialist with the department’s children’s protective services staff so they can support families in applying for benefits and Medicaid and connect them to other economic supports.
• Developed a firearm safety protocol to provide guidance for child welfare staff to talk with families about firearm safety. This includes creating a website with information about where families can get free trigger locks and appropriating $2 million to support initiatives related to misuse of guns, including gun locks and other available options.
• Expanding home visits by nurses and other professionals to proactively identify and help families who may benefit from better parenting strategies and coping skills.
• A vulnerable child protocol was implemented in August 2023 that provides additional safety reviews of cases in which the child that is injured is too young to fully speak for themselves.
• Analyzing data in partnership with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to determine which families are most at risk so the department can provide services sooner for the well-being of children.
• Continuing to invest in prevention services annually to better serve at-risk families.
• Worked with the State Legislature to make it easier for caregivers to determine whether another caregiver for their child is on the state’s Central Registry for child abuse and neglect. A new law, referred to as Wyatt’s Law, was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in May 2022.

Intervention

• Developed an intervention tool that requires regular communication with caseworkers and their supervisors during key points of an investigation.
• Working with organizations and partners in the Legislature in supporting the child welfare system. MDHHS continues to identify policy changes to increase child safety. Some of these changes may include improved data sharing between behavioral health, substance use disorder service providers, domestic violence providers and the child welfare system.
• Learning more from child deaths by participating in multi-disciplinary child death review teams that involve MDHHS, prosecutors, law enforcement, medical professionals and others.

“MDHHS is devoted to an important and challenging mission: Keeping kids safe and families together. We won’t be satisfied until Michigan is the best place in America to raise kids and build families,” Hertel said.

Read Director Hertel’s letter to the OAG.

Read MDHHS’ responses to the OAG’s findings. 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3, 2024

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

Nearly 900,000 Michigan children to receive
food assistance benefits this summer
MDHHS offers first-time Summer EBT program

LANSING, Mich. – To help ensure children are able to access healthy food this summer while school is out, eligible families will soon receive $120 per child through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) new Michigan Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has approved Michigan’s plan for the Summer EBT program to help low-income families feed children over the summer months. Created by the U.S. Congress, the Summer EBT program is based on similar efforts used during the coronavirus pandemic to address food insecurity for students. MDHHS and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) are working together to get these benefits to families across the state. Funds are being distributed ahead of the Friday, July 19 start date cited in the state’s plan.

“Summer should be a time when children can learn, grow and play without worrying about where their next meal will come from,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).  “I’m so proud that the Governor and the State Legislature have acted to make sure every Michigan child has access to healthy meals during the school year. My legislative victory is focused on making sure children have the same access to healthy meals in the summer regardless of where they live in Michigan. This is bringing us one step closer to ending childhood hunger.”

“Many Michigan children rely on breakfast and lunch provided at their school during the school year and we want to make sure they do not go hungry this summer while schools are on break,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “The Summer EBT program increases family’s grocery-buying budgets and we are thrilled to get this funding out earlier than planned. We plan to get these benefits out even earlier next year.”

Benefits will come in the form of EBT cards that families can use to buy groceries. Families who already have a Bridge card will have a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child, the standard benefit amount set by the USDA for the 2024 program year, added to their existing card. Those who don’t already have a card will be sent a pre-loaded card in the mail. Eligible families will receive a letter about the program.

“Providing nutritious meals to Michigan children – during the school year and during the summer – helps meet Goal 3 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to improve the health, safety and wellness of all learners,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “We need to support children nutritionally in the summer as we do in the school year, and this partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and MDHHS helps children and families.”

Most families eligible for these benefits will receive them automatically thanks to state agencies collaborating to identify kids who qualify based on their participation in other benefit programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the free or reduced-price meal programs at their school.

A child is eligible for Summer EBT if they are:

• Household participants, between the ages of 6 to 18, who receive Food Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian reservations or eligible Medical Assistance households at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
• Students of any age certified as eligible to receive free or reduced-priced lunch through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
• Approved through the Summer EBT application process.

Additional programs designed to feed children during the summer months include the MDE-administered program like the Summer Food Service Program, also known as Meet Up and Eat Up in Michigan, and the Rural Non-Congregate Summer Food Service Program.

For more information, visit the Summer EBT page on the MDHHS website.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2024

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

Registration open for MDHHS Michigan Suicide Prevention
Commission Summit to be held in August

LANSING, Mich. –The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission is opening registration for the Suicide Prevention Commission Summit taking place Aug. 6-7 at the Lansing Center, located in downtown Lansing.

This event will bring together professionals, researchers, policymakers, advocates and community members dedicated to advancing suicide prevention efforts across Michigan.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Learn about the latest evidence-based strategies and interventions in suicide prevention.
• Network with peers and experts from diverse fields to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Gain practical skills and tools to implement effective suicide prevention practices in their communities.
• Explore the future of suicide prevention in Michigan and contribute to shaping its direction.

The Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission was established in 2019 through Public Act 177 in response to the urgent need for coordinated state efforts in suicide prevention. Since then, the commission has made significant strides in raising awareness, mobilizing resources and developing comprehensive strategies aimed at reducing Michigan’s suicide rates.

This summit represents a crucial step in the mission to continue developing a comprehensive and statewide approach to suicide prevention.

Registration for the event is free, but please note that space is limited. Interested individuals should register now to secure entry.

For additional information about the conference, email James Bell III, DSW.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2024

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

MDHHS hotline for migrant and seasonal farmworkers provides bilingual information about influenza A (H5N1) in three languages

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services farmworker hotline for seasonal farmworkers, 833-SIAYUDA (833-742-9832), is expanding to include resources and services that assist farmworkers impacted by influenza A (H5N1).

The MDHHS Farmworker Outreach Services Division launched the toll-free SIAYUDA hotline number in February 2023 to provide information and other service referrals in a farmworker’s primary language. Two-thirds of Michigan’s seasonal farmworker population speak only Spanish. The hotline provides English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole translation.

Michigan previously reported two human cases of influenza A (H5N1) in dairy farmworkers, and MDHHS is reminding Michigan residents about the bilingual SIAYUDA hotline that continues to provide prompts and culturally appropriate education to keep Michiganders healthy and safe.

“Immediate bilingual services like translations of safety, well-being and emergency press releases and more are available to seasonal farmworkers through the MDHHS Farmworker Hotline,” said Elizabeth Hertel, director. “MDHHS is proactively providing resources about health topics like influenza A (H5N1) for seasonal farmworkers in Michigan to ensure the health of all residents.”

A translation service is also available for farmworker calls in languages other than English and Spanish. MDHHS contracts with translation service industry professionals to provide quality health care to Michigan residents.

MDHHS continues to provide bilingual residents with tools to prevent disease, improve health outcomes and increase well-being.

For more information visit:

• Michigan.gov/farmworkeroutreachservices.
• Michigan.gov/help4migrants.
• Michigan.gov/SIAYUDA.
• Michigan.gov/InfluenzaA.
• Michigan.gov/birdflu.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2024

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

More than 2.6 million Michigan residents enrolled
in Medicaid following year-long redetermination process
Nearly 142,000 beneficiaries renew coverage in May;
1.8 million renewed their coverage during the past year

LANSING, Mich. – As the year-long post-pandemic Medicaid redetermination process draws to a close, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced it renewed Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan coverage for an additional 141,992 people whose eligibility was up for renewal in May. More than 1.8 million beneficiaries have renewed their insurance coverage during the process, bringing the total Medicaid enrollment to 2.6 million.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people continued to receive Medicaid without having to renew annually under the Families First Coronavirus Act. The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ended the pause on annual redeterminations. Michigan reinstated the renewal process beginning in May 2023. The renewal process will continue annually going forward.

“More than 2.6 million people currently have health care coverage through Medicaid or the Healthy Michigan Plan,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “This was the largest renewal process our state has ever conducted, with 1.8 million beneficiaries renewing their coverage during the past year. MDHHS employed numerous successful strategies to help ensure those families continued to have health care coverage.”

Strategies making the renewal process easier and that reduced the number of residents at risk of losing coverage have been approved through June 2025 by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These include: 

• Renewing Medicaid eligibility for people receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program without conducting separate income determinations.
• Reinstating eligibility for people who were disenrolled for procedural reasons and are subsequently redetermined to be eligible for Medicaid during a 90-day reconsideration period.
• Providing beneficiaries an extra month to submit paperwork to avoid loss of health care coverage.
• Renewing Medicaid eligibility based on a simplified asset verification process.
• Continuing robust beneficiary outreach via phone, text and email.

These tactics resulted in:

• Thirty percent of beneficiaries disenrolled being reinstated during the 90-day reconsideration period.
• One in 4 individuals who lost Medicaid coverage have other comprehensive health care coverage today.

The latest data on Medicaid renewals can be found on MDHHS’ online dashboard. The dashboard, which is updated monthly, shows that 1,842,038 million people have been renewed to date. The department is awaiting completed enrollment forms from another 94,723 people who were up for renewal in May and have until the end of June to return paperwork. 

There were 12,402 people disenrolled in May because they were no longer eligible and 1,954 whose eligibility was not renewed for procedural reasons, such as not providing verification documents like a driver’s license, pay stubs and bank statements. MDHHS advises all Medicaid enrollees to check their renewal month and renew online at Michigan.gov/MIBridges.

Families should return renewal paperwork even if they believe they are no longer eligible for Medicaid. Some members of a household can obtain health care coverage even when others are not eligible. For example, a child may be eligible for MiChild, even if their parent is not eligible for other Medicaid programs. Or some Michiganders may have income that is over the income limit for one program and still be able to obtain health care benefits through another program. 

Those who no longer qualify will receive additional information about other affordable health coverage options available, including on HealthCare.gov. Affected Michiganders can shop for and enroll in comprehensive health insurance as they transition away from Medicaid. Many can purchase a plan for less than $10 per month. Medicaid beneficiaries can learn more, including what they need to do to prepare for renewals, on the Medicaid Benefit Changes website.