As I continue to write about the changes that are in store for New Passages in the coming years it is important to understand the difference between New Passages and a county community mental health system. Unlike a Community Mental Health Board, New Passages is a private 501(c)3 non-profit behavioral health organization, governed by a Board of Directors.  As a non-profit organization, New Passages, not only contracts with Mental Health Boards across Michigan, but it also raises additional dollars through grants, corporate donations, fundraising events, and private citizens.  These additional dollars go directly to support the mission of New Passages.  Fund development also raises the visibility of the organization in the community.

New Passages is also different in another significant way from Community Mental Health Boards.  New Passages specializes in providing community-based services to adults and children with mental illness and some adults with Development Disabilities, while CMHs are charged with both providing mental health services to a broad array of people and managing their care.  Some CMHs in Michigan serve exclusively as the managed care entity for a particular county or a network of counties.  Some continue to provide services directly, while others contract for all community-based services.  Some CMHs make use of a mixed model, contracting for some services and providing others.

Michigan is fairly unique in its mixed model approach. In many states, community mental health services are managed through large behavioral health managed-care companies or directly by the county or state.  Some states contract services directly from community-based providers.  Most do not provide services themselves, because it is perceived as a conflict of interest.

My gut feeling is that Michigan will move towards a system that is more uniform.  My guess is that this will take the form of having the current managed care entities manage the care of mental health consumers and contract for all services from community-based providers.  In many ways, this makes sense, especially when  contracting with organizations like New Passages, which bring tremendous resources and expertise to the table.  Because New Passages specializes in only providing community-based care to adults and children with serious mental illness, it can focus exclusively on providing exemplary services to this very vulnerable population.

I think this is a debate worth engaging in.  I look forward to your comments.