Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address on January 26 laid out her priorities for 2022. Among these priorities was her proposal to expand access to mental and behavioral health by retaining and recruiting hundreds of mental health workers. The Governor highlighted social workers as a key component in this proposal area. We are happy to hear this plan to invest in mental health and mental health professionals acknowledgement of the social work profession.

Why this is important: 

NASW-Michigan is looking forward to continuing our policy and advocacy work in conversations with Governor Whitmer and her staff. We are proud of what we have accomplished with the state surrounding behavioral and mental health, recently including legislative wins in community crisis response funding. We will continue to work with Michigan representatives and partner organizations to identify ways to support, enhance, and grow our workforce. This includes looking at initiatives around student loan forgiveness, increased training opportunities, and scholarship opportunities to promote workforce retention as well as growth. 

If you would like to watch the 2022 State of the State address, the recording can be found here.

Just recently the Governor’s State Budget for 2022 was released, NASW-Michigan is working to provide you with updates and further details. In the meantime, you can view the budget presentation, press release, and budget book here.