Michigan launching comprehensive training center for behavioral health professionals

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has awarded a contract to Public Consulting Group (PCG). PCG will establish and manage a Capacity Building Center (CBC), aiming to provide comprehensive training and resources to behavioral health professionals.

The CBC will serve as a centralized hub, offering both online and in-person training opportunities to enhance the skills and knowledge of providers working with children, youth, and families. The initial focus will be on training for public mental and behavioral health providers contracted through Community Mental Health Service Programs and Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans.

“The goal of the capacity building center is to improve the ability of the state’s behavioral health workforce to provide care to Michigan families by expanding access to training and learning communities,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director.

The initiative seeks to improve the quality of services, support provider retention and recruitment, and ultimately increase access to behavioral health services statewide.

PCG, in partnership with MDHHS and the Bureau of Children’s Coordinated Health Policy and Supports, will develop and oversee the CBC.

“Through our partnership, the CBC will deliver essential comprehensive training, provide valuable resources and build workforce capacity for behavioral health professionals to improve the quality of services for children and their families in Michigan,” said Jen MacBlane, PCG human services manager.

The CBC will offer over 200 trainings to more than 5,000 providers in the initial rollout. These trainings will cover a range of topics, including Michigan’s Child & Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment tool, Intensive Care Coordination with Wrapround, the Children’s Waiver Program and Serious Emotional Disturbance Waiver, and other Medicaid-funded specialty behavioral health services.

Robert Sheehan, CEO of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (CMHA), attests that the CBC is a powerful addition to the comprehensive clinical training initiative MDHHS pioneered with CMHA over decades.

“The CBC further strengthens Michigan’s place at the forefront, nationally, in the provision of education and training on cutting edge and proven clinical practices designed to sustain and strengthen the skills of clinicians in the state’s public mental health system,” Sheehan said.

A centralized website, expected to launch in May 2025, will allow providers to register for, attend, and receive credit for completed trainings. The CBC will also foster ongoing learning communities to provide continuous quality improvement opportunities for providers.

MDHHS and PCG will collaborate to expand the training offerings based on the initial implementation and evaluation of the CBC.