Behavioral Health Policy

PIHP Governance

Mar 30, 2026

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9 min read

Wait-and-See

No RFP (yet) but the battleground is shifting to the budget, while Medicaid-driven financial strain may redefine how Michigan’s behavioral health system operates, and who absorbs the impact.

Daniel Cherrin

Messaging

Reframing Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign: The Real Issue Is Access to Care

Mar 16, 2026

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23 min read

Reframing Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign: The Real Issue Is Access to Care

Other Developments Affecting Access, Workforce, and System Capacity

Daniel Cherrin

Redesign

Court of Claims Allows MDHHS to Proceed with Procurement Process

Jan 9, 2026

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5 min read

Court of Claims Allows MDHHS to Proceed with Procurement Process

Yet challenges will remain post award

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

From Redesign to Reliability: Building a Community Mental Health System People Can Rely On

Jan 5, 2026

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9 min read

From Redesign to Reliability: Building a Community Mental Health System People Can Rely On

Why structure, not control, is the path to sustainable care in Michigan’s next system

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Dec 22, 2025

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10 min read

The quiet before the storm

Court Uncertainty, Policy Guidance, and Quiet Shifts in Authority

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Dec 15, 2025

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12 min read

Trust Is Not a Talking Point

Why Michigan’s behavioral health redesign, and the future of CCBHCs, depends on structural change, not assurances

Daniel Cherrin

Behavioral Health Policy

Special Issue: Testimony Ends as Court Weighs Legality of Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign

Dec 11, 2025

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9 min read

Special Issue: Testimony Ends as Court Weighs Legality of Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign

Judge Yates now turns from hearing evidence to deciding whether the state’s new RFP structure fits Michigan law, and what it will mean for CMHSP duties, PIHP authority, and the future of Michigan's Community Mental Health System.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Trust Can Be Rebuilt, But Only With Real Change

Dec 8, 2025

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9 min read

Trust Can Be Rebuilt, But Only With Real Change

Providers now have a rare reset point. Should Michigan move to new PIHP regions, the path forward depends on conflict-free structures, visible accountability, and providers stepping up early with readiness, coordination, and clear communication.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

The shifting landscape in behavioral health

Dec 1, 2025

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9 min read

The shifting landscape in behavioral health

From telehealth expansion and Medicaid disability reforms to Michigan redesign updates, SUD news, and major funding announcements, this week brings a wide mix of developments shaping care and access.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

The Crisis in Oakland County’s Serves as a Warning for Michigan’s Provider Network

Nov 24, 2025

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21 min read

The Crisis in Oakland County’s Serves as a Warning for Michigan’s Provider Network

OCHN’s move to seize crisis services, and its plan to split into a PIHP and CMHSP, shows how conflicts of interest can deepen during the redesign unless guardrails are put in place now.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Public Health Pressures and Policy Maneuvers Are Converging in Michigan’s Behavioral Health System

Nov 17, 2025

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12 min read

Public Health Pressures and Policy Maneuvers Are Converging in Michigan’s Behavioral Health System

Providers face rising community health risks while opponents quietly mobilize to halt the state’s PIHP procurement—making clear, accurate communication and steady leadership more important than ever.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

The Quiet Shift Reshaping Michigan’s Behavioral Health System

Nov 10, 2025

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13 min read

The Quiet Shift Reshaping Michigan’s Behavioral Health System

PIHPs move to absorb provider services while the state invests in prevention, treatment, and leadership transitions aimed at restoring balance.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Everyone Agrees Michigan’s Behavioral Health System Can Work Better

Oct 27, 2025

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17 min read

Everyone Agrees Michigan’s Behavioral Health System Can Work Better

The question isn’t whether to fix it, but how to build a system grounded in trust, clear accountability, and support for those delivering care every day.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Oct 20, 2025

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19 min read

Turning Momentum Into Impact

With the court ruling settled and proposals submitted, Michigan’s behavioral health overhaul is finally moving forward—yet the hard work of fixing what’s broken has only just begun.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Court Clears Way for State to Proceed with Behavioral Health Rebid After Denying Injunction

Oct 16, 2025

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3 min read

Court Clears Way for State to Proceed with Behavioral Health Rebid After Denying Injunction

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Court Upholds State’s Authority to Restructure Behavioral Health in Michigan, But Keeps Case Open for Further Review

Oct 14, 2025

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3 min read

Court Upholds State’s Authority to Restructure Behavioral Health in Michigan, But Keeps Case Open for Further Review

Special Edition

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

The Fight Over Michigan’s Mental Health System: Bureaucracy, Trust, and the Boundaries of State Power

Oct 13, 2025

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13 min read

The Fight Over Michigan’s Mental Health System: Bureaucracy, Trust, and the Boundaries of State Power

As Michigan moves to consolidate its behavioral health system into fewer regions, a legal and political battle continues over who should control the cash and care.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Michigan Finalizes $76B Budget, Cuts Provider Safeguards as Oversight Failures Surface

Oct 6, 2025

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9 min read

Michigan Finalizes $76B Budget, Cuts Provider Safeguards as Oversight Failures Surface

FY 26 budget funds CCBHCs, direct care wages, and school mental health—but leaves out provider protections, while a state audit exposes serious lapses in psychiatric hospital oversight.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Cutting Through the Noise on Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign

Sep 29, 2025

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12 min read

Cutting Through the Noise on Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign

The PIHP lobby installs the third leg on their advocacy efforts by recognizing the need for a new system, but they just rebrand the old one to make it look new again.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Redesign or Reskinning? Competing Visions for Michigan’s System of Care

Sep 22, 2025

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15 min read

Redesign or Reskinning? Competing Visions for Michigan’s System of Care

PIHP advocates seek to pause procurement while providers push for protections, fairness, and accountability in any transition.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

MDHHS Clarifies Behavioral Health RFP and Tightens Standards in Amendment 5

Sep 15, 2025

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17 min read

MDHHS Clarifies Behavioral Health RFP and Tightens Standards in Amendment 5

Conflict-free governance, stronger access requirements, and new expectations for SUD and children’s services raise the bar for bidders, and set the stage for a system that is simpler, more accountable, and centered on care.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Breaking Barriers, Not Bending Facts: Moving Behavioral Health Forward

Sep 8, 2025

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17 min read

Breaking Barriers, Not Bending Facts: Moving Behavioral Health Forward

This week we focus on how misinformation can cloud the realities of what needs to change in Michigan’s behavioral health system. The real path forward isn’t about sowing fear or protecting old structures, it’s about removing barriers and building a system of care that is consistent, accountable, and centered on people. So pull up your chair and let’s start the conversation.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

From 1960s Structures to Missing Today’s Innovations in Care

Sep 1, 2025

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22 min read

From 1960s Structures to Missing Today’s Innovations in Care

Why Michigan’s behavioral health system can’t afford to stay stuck in the past.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

Change is not easy, transitions are tough, and here is what comes next

Aug 25, 2025

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13 min read

Change is not easy, transitions are tough, and here is what comes next

From the state’s overhaul of behavioral health to Detroit’s next mayor, the real test is how we navigate transition to deliver impact.

Daniel Cherrin

Medicaid Reform

MDHHS seeking proposals to improve specialty behavioral health care for Medicaid beneficiaries

Aug 5, 2025

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5 min read

MDHHS seeking proposals to improve specialty behavioral health care for Medicaid beneficiaries

Special Issue, August 5, 2025

Daniel Cherrin

Behavioral Health Policy

Wait-and-See

Reframing Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign: The Real Issue Is Access to Care

Court of Claims Allows MDHHS to Proceed with Procurement Process

From Redesign to Reliability: Building a Community Mental Health System People Can Rely On

The quiet before the storm

Trust Is Not a Talking Point

Special Issue: Testimony Ends as Court Weighs Legality of Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign

Trust Can Be Rebuilt, But Only With Real Change

The shifting landscape in behavioral health

The Crisis in Oakland County’s Serves as a Warning for Michigan’s Provider Network

Public Health Pressures and Policy Maneuvers Are Converging in Michigan’s Behavioral Health System

The Quiet Shift Reshaping Michigan’s Behavioral Health System

Everyone Agrees Michigan’s Behavioral Health System Can Work Better

Turning Momentum Into Impact

Court Clears Way for State to Proceed with Behavioral Health Rebid After Denying Injunction

Court Upholds State’s Authority to Restructure Behavioral Health in Michigan, But Keeps Case Open for Further Review

The Fight Over Michigan’s Mental Health System: Bureaucracy, Trust, and the Boundaries of State Power

Michigan Finalizes $76B Budget, Cuts Provider Safeguards as Oversight Failures Surface

Cutting Through the Noise on Michigan’s Behavioral Health Redesign

Redesign or Reskinning? Competing Visions for Michigan’s System of Care

MDHHS Clarifies Behavioral Health RFP and Tightens Standards in Amendment 5

Breaking Barriers, Not Bending Facts: Moving Behavioral Health Forward

From 1960s Structures to Missing Today’s Innovations in Care

Change is not easy, transitions are tough, and here is what comes next

MDHHS seeking proposals to improve specialty behavioral health care for Medicaid beneficiaries

Pull Up Your Chair

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