Some of the voices least heard in the discussion to privatize the Medicaid-funded behavioral health system in Michigan or improve the current system are the families of those 350,000 people with mental health problems, substance abuse addictions or the intellectually or developmentally disabled.
I sat down recently with 10 family and board members of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill Oakland County in Southfield. For more than 90 minutes, they told me difficult stories about their sons, daughters and close relatives, and how they have passionately fought to maintain or expand services to make better the lives of their loved ones.