At the April 1, 2024 Chelsea City Council meeting, members of the city's roundtable group presented a progress report on adding community mental health resources using rebate funds from the County Mental Health and Public Safety Village in 2017.
Chelsea School District Superintendent Mike Kapolka and 5 Healthy Towns CEO Steve Petty partnered to present the latest information. Kapolka explained that the group meets regularly to consider how best to structure and manage the role, where it should sit administratively, and the geographic scope of the service. Nothing is final, he says, but it's pretty close. He said the service area will reflect the Chelsea School District.
This new position is intended to be an essential addition to the current network of community mental health resources already in place, including social workers and psychologists from schools, CPD, Chelsea Hospital and other local agencies . Ongoing and proactive connections between these various local mental health resources help provide continuity of service and care to local residents who benefit from support.
One of the most notable updates on progress toward new resources came from Mayor Jane Pacheco, who is also a member of the roundtable group. “The Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Authority is very committed and has not only offered to be a community partner from a financial standpoint, but also to be the clinical supervisor for this person,” Pacheco said. ” he said.
Kapolka also noted that the position was created as a two-year pilot program and is not yet a permanent role. “This has given us an opportunity over two years to take time to think about it, get feedback and evaluate it,” he said.
