Executive order builds on the Michigan Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force report and recommendations 

Lansing, MI – On Oct 20th, Governor Gretchen Whitmer created the Michigan Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee to review procedures for juvenile residential facilities and make recommendations to improve the system and better serve Michigan’s youth. The committee, which will be housed in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), will work across state government to implement evidence-based practices in areas of need, explore solutions to increase juvenile access to behavioral health beds, and ensure kids in Michigan’s juvenile justice system have the resources and opportunities to succeed.  

“Michigan must continue to lead on juvenile justice and ensure every kid in Michigan can reach their full potential,” said Governor Whitmer. “The Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee will build on the recommendations of the Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force and take a comprehensive look at residence standards, staff training, case management, and data collection to address the challenges kids in our residential system face. I will continue working hard to keep our communities safe and invest in Michigan’s kids – and their futures.” 

On Oct 20th’s announcement builds on the work of the Michigan Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force, which recommended the creation of a residential facilities advisory committee. Establishment of the committee demonstrates Governor Whitmer’s commitment to following through with the Task Force’s report and reforming Michigan’s juvenile justice system. 

“I was incredibly proud to chair the Michigan Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “On Oct 20th’s announcement is a step forward in the continuing work of the task force and will help us address critical issues within the juvenile justice system. The committee will bring together experts, advocates, and Michiganders with real lived experience to make a difference for kids. Governor Whitmer and I will work with anyone to build a juvenile justice system in Michigan that works for everyone.” 

“I am passionate about making sure our youth get the support and treatment they need,” said MDHHS Director Elizbeth Hertel. “With the backing of Gov. Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Gilchrist, I look forward to working with everyone on the committee who will play an important part in our joint effort to ensure stable, safe placement for children. At MDHHS, we take very seriously our role in helping all youth receive the best services to address behavioral and mental health needs so they can grow up to realize their potential, achieve their dreams and be productive members of society.” 

“The Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice and the Division of Juvenile Justice (MDHHS) have been working on the residential problems in our state,” said Bob Higgins, Chair of the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice. “It is gratifying to have Governor Whitmer create the Residential Advisory Committee, which was a recommendation of the Task Force on Juvenile Justice, to bring together experts and advocates to craft recommendations for improvements and solutions.”  

“This committee is a vital step forward as Michigan addresses the acute lack of appropriate juvenile residential beds and provides judges critically-needed options for those youth who are in need of a higher level of intervention outside their community,” said Associate Justice Elizabeth Clement. “This crisis is profound, and Michigan must take every possible step to make sure safe and effective placements are available for the long term. Anything less is unacceptable. Most importantly, I stress that funding for such placements is only part of the solution. We must have high, evidence-based standards, a commitment to continuous improvement in quality, ways to measure progress, alternatives to out-of-home placements, and a plan to make sure we are effectively allocating resources to build the nation’s safest, most effective, juvenile residential placement system.” 

“I am excited to see the task force recommendation of a Residential Advisory Council become a reality,” said Kimberly Thomas, Clinical Professor at the University of Michigan Law School. “The Council will be able to address the desperate gaps in therapeutic treatment for the segment of Michigan's young people who are most in need of support and can develop and implement evidence-based statewide standards to ensure the quality provision of care to these children." 

“On Oct 20th’s announcement is a step forward to get Michigan’s youth the support they need to thrive,” said Cameron Fraser, a member of the Michigan Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force. “It builds on the hard work done by members of the Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force and will continue our data driven approach to improving the juvenile justice system. I am grateful for the partnership of my fellow Task Force members and every advocate for Michigan’s kids.” 

“On Oct 20th’s announcement will make a difference for youth in Michigan’s juvenile justice system,” said State Senator Sylvia Santana. “It will build on the work of the Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force and explore data-driven solutions that are in the best interest of the youth in these facilities. I am grateful for Governor Whitmer and every committed advocate who got this done, and I look forward to continuing this critical work.” 

“After sitting down with stakeholders and the governor’s team, we agreed that some priorities could be done without passing additional legislation,” said State Representative Sarah Lightner. “Everyone recognized the need to address the residential facility shortcomings and lack of investment. I hope to continue working with all these stakeholders and my colleagues in the legislature to make Michigan a leader in juvenile justice reforms.” 

“As a member of the Michigan Juvenile Justice Reform Task Force, I applaud the governor’s decision to follow through with our recommendations to create the Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee, said State Representative Brenda Carter. “The creation of this committee will help ensure that Michigan’s children in the juvenile justice system have the resources and opportunities to succeed.” 

“Progress is achieved via a recognition that change should not be made for the sole purpose of making changes, but rather change should occur as a result of a pragmatic assessment of what truly needs to be done to create improvement,” said Sheriff Steven Hinkley, “I am proud to have been part of a process that I believe will serve as a catalyst to initiate positive change and progress in our juvenile justice system.” 

Michigan Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee

Structure

The Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee will serve as an advisory body within MDHHS and include the Director of the Department, the Executive Director of the Children’s Services Agency, or their designees, and a representative from the State Court Administrative Office. The committee will also include representatives from the juvenile justice community and residential facilities, prosecutors, defense attorneys, family court administrators, probate or circuit court judges, local governments, tribal governments, mental health advocates, behavioral specialists, and individuals with lived experience in the juvenile justice residential system. 

Individuals who meet the requirements of this committee and are interested in appointment can apply at www.michigan.gov/Whitmer/Appointments. Click “Apply Now” and select “Michigan Juvenile Residential Facilities Advisory Committee” when prompted in the application. 

Responsibilities

The committee will review licensing, staff training, length-of-stay, and case management standards and make recommendations to standardize guidelines and improve procedures throughout the state. The committee will promote evidence-based practices to treat and measure progress towards outcomes for youth in residential facilities and may develop recommendations to support a statewide strategic plan to increase juvenile access to behavioral health beds. 

The executive order can be viewed by clicking here. 

Governor Whitmer’s Behavioral Health, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Reforms

Governor Whitmer has worked across the aisle to enact historic criminal justice reform. She signed “Clean Slate” legislation and “Clean Slate for Kids” to help hundreds of thousands of Michiganders emerge from the criminal justice system with enhanced opportunities for jobs and housing, empowering them to pursue their full potential. 

In April 2019, Governor Whitmer created the bipartisan Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, chaired by Lt. Governor Gilchrist and Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack. The Task Force reviewed the state’s jail and court data to expand alternatives to jail, safely reduce jail admissions, and improve the effectiveness of the front end of Michigan’s justice system. These recommendations inspired legislation that was signed by the governor in January 2021. 

In June 2021, Governor Whitmer established the bipartisan Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform to study the juvenile justice system and develop data-driven recommendations for statewide reform. This assessment involved case level data analysis, focus groups with hundreds of diverse stakeholders across the state, and listening sessions with youth and families directly impacted by the system. Based on this assessment, and the monthslong efforts of the Task Force’s working groups, the Task Force released a full report of assessment findings and policy recommendations. 

To improve behavioral health outcomes, Governor Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation to ensure that callers to the Michigan Crisis and Access Line have access to information about availability of psychiatric beds.  

Earlier this summer, Governor Whitmer signed her fourth balanced, bipartisan budget that included funding for Jobs Court, a program that offers non-violent, low-level offenders gainful employment with local partnering small businesses. The budget also included: 

• $460 million in dedicated funding for mental health and school safety.?    
• $325 million for a new state psychiatric facility complex. 
• $277.8 million to expand public and private behavioral health capacity. 

• $57.8 million to support additional beds at the current Hawthorn Center facility, additional Medicaid health homes, and costs for new contracts for intensive inpatient services. 
• $220 million to support one-time capacity expansion grants for inpatient and community-based behavioral health services. 
• $10 million in student loan reimbursement for behavioral health providers.