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1. Mental Health, Homelessness & Addiction Recovery
Our state has certainly made progress in the support of mental health in recent years, but we still have a long way to go. This is especially true with some of our most vulnerable populations -- those experiencing homelessness. Walking around downtown Grand Rapids, it is no secret that we have a homelessness problem. While we've seen some transitional housing projects receive needed funding, much of the funding still goes to traditional shelters. Meanwhile, neither of these solutions best serve those with severe mental health challenges, or those struggling with addiction. I'll support:
Increased state funding for community mental health and more robust oversight.
Ending the prison/homeless/hospital cycle by creating a state-run long term in-patient psychiatric facility for those with severe mental health challenges where outpatient or short-term in-patient assistance aren’t as effective.
Reducing the stigma of mental health care through more resources at the K-12 level, while supporting policies that improve the overall quality of life for all Michiganders, reducing stress.
Development of a psychiatric urgent care facility in downtown Grand Rapids, reducing the stress on the system and on nurses when those in a mental health crisis are dropped off in the emergency room.
Most importantly, all of my policies seek to reduce barriers, increase opportunity, reduce stress, and have an overall better quality of life. No amount of mental health care or support eliminates the reality that we are living in times of financial stress, anxiety, and combativeness. I know many of us just need some breathing room.
2. Improving the Professional Licensing Process
As a board member on a professional licensing board for healthcare professionals, I know firsthand that regulations are needed as a form of oversight to protect the public health and welfare. I also know that the Michigan Public Health Code has some gaps which often can't be remedied through the limited scope that licensing regulation created by the Executive Branch can offer. At the same time, the layers of board oversight, administrative law, and legislation can be complicated for non-lawyers to understand. While the Executive Branch controls regulations and licensing boards, the legislative branch creates and grants authority to these boards and outlines some basic requirements in the Michigan Public Health Code. My experience on a regulatory board gives me an insight to this process more than almost anyone in the current House or Senate. Here's what I'll support:
Updating the Michigan Public Health Code
Protecting the public health and welfare by better supporting unpaid licensing board members in their regulatory enforcement duties, while also encouraging cutting unnecessary red tape and potential statutory consolidation of some boards and commissions.
Ensuring adequate staffing through nurse/patient ratios, thus increasing the number of students willing to participate in health education programs.
As a board member, I also know that nurses struggle with high rates of substance abuse, often leading to suspensions of their licenses. Supporting community mental health care as discussed above is vital here but so is working to improve the support licensed medical professionals receive at work. Supporting adequate staffing through union-negotiated nurse/patient ratios (which requires more hospitals to unionize, as discussed in the Supporting Businesses & Workers section) and increasing the number of students in nursing education programs is vital to improving the wellbeing of nurses, which in turn helps to ensure better care for patients.
3. Supporting Parents of Newborns Without a Burden on Small Businesses
As discussed in other policies, supporting parents of newborns is vital to incentivizing starting a family and growing our state's population. While some politicians support Paid Pregnancy Leave provided by employers, a paid leave of a beneficial length would mean that a business is not only paying the wage of the parent on leave but is likely going to need to pay for a temporary employee to complete the work of the employee on leave. This means they'd be paying two wages for one job over the course of months, which is not feasible for many employers. At the same time, young parents who must take unpaid leave while supporting a newborn are not only taking a pay cut but are often doing so while paying off student loans and a mortgage. I offer an alternative plan:
With increased state revenue from a growing economy, create state-funded Paid Pregnancy Leave for 12-16 weeks
No new taxes on businesses or individuals. This is not a benefit provided by employers.
Incentivizes growing a family, while reducing stress and ensuring the birthing parent has time to recover and that the newborn is receiving adequate care.
As our economy and state budget grow, we must be prioritizing innovative solutions to support families in our state, in ways that don't put the burden on businesses. This also helps to ensure the birthing parent can recover without the added stress of finances, while all parents are able to dedicate more time to the health and wellbeing of the newborn.
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