Center for Behavioral Health and Justice

08/06/2026

Join our colleagues at the Wayne State University School of Social Work for the next Courageous Conversations event featuring Detroit City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero.

The discussion will explore how federal immigration enforcement, policing, and surveillance technologies intersect in Detroit and what these policies mean for immigrant communities.

Register today: https://bit.ly/4hNFnFM

Join us for a conversation with Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero on how federal immigration enforcement, policing, and surveillance technologies intersect in Detroit.
We’ll focus on the experiences of immigrant communities, highlighting how policies shape safety and civil rights.

📅 September 17, 2026
⏰ 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
📍TechTown Industry Innovation Center

Register: https://bit.ly/4hNFnFM

08/04/2026

The Wayne State University School of Social Work is accepting applications for two tenure-track positions, one open rank and the other at the assistant professor level, both to begin in Fall 2027.

The school is particularly interested in candidates whose work addresses behavioral health and the criminal legal system, including crisis response, diversion, juvenile justice, and reentry as well as scholars focused on environmental social work, global social work, and health. Review of applications will begin immediately and those received by September 21 will receive priority consideration.

Learn more and apply here: https://waynetalent.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/2/home/requisition/3524?c=waynetalent&q2xpdx8l=&m=-5&u=-101

08/03/2026

Collaboration is the foundation of effective diversion and deflection efforts.

The final report from the Diversion Intervention through Boundary Spanning (DIBS) pilot project highlights how Summit Pointe, Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, The Arc of Macomb County, and Community Mental Health of Ottawa County partnered with CBHJ to strengthen cross-system collaboration, improve continuity of care, and build sustainable diversion models tailored to their communities.

Thank you to our partners for their commitment to this important work! Together, we're helping build stronger behavioral health responses across Michigan.

Read the full story: https://behaviorhealthjustice.wayne.edu/news/michigan-counties-lay-foundation-for-stronger-diversion-and-deflection-efforts-statewide-through-dibs-pilot-69827

07/29/2026

The CBHJ has received a $78,000 grant from the Michigan State Bar Foundation to pilot innovative judicial decision-support tools for Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) cases.

Developed by AOT Manager Jenny Kimmel, the tools are designed to support more consistent, objective judicial decision-making while protecting due process and helping ensure individuals receive the most appropriate level of care.

Michigan probate judges interested in participating in the pilot are encouraged to contact [email protected].

Learn more about the pilot here: https://behaviorhealthjustice.wayne.edu/news/cbhj-receives-grant-to-pilot-judicial-decision-support-tools-for-aot-69822

07/28/2026

Save the date! Join the Wayne State University School of Social Work and the International OCD Foundation Behavior Therapy Training Institute in Detroit Sept. 25-27 for Treating OCD in Communities of Color. This three-day training provides clinicians with practical skills to treat obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Join us and the International OCD Foundation Behavior Therapy Training Institute here in Detroit from September 25 - 27, 2026 for Treating OCD in Communities of Color! This intensive three-day training equips clinicians with the skills to effectively treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Scholarships are available for WSU SSW Alumni. Apply by July 23 through the registration portal.

Register: https://bit.ly/4f3jBwa

07/24/2026

Better data leads to better outcomes for Michigan's youth.

We're pleased to see Governor Gretchen Whitmer sign House Bill 4396 into law as part of a broader juvenile justice reform package. The legislation will support research by allowing certain anonymized juvenile justice data to be shared, helping communities strengthen diversion programs and improve outcomes for young people.

As CBHJ Director and Wayne State University School of Social Work Dean Sheryl Kubiak shared, "Data is essential to improving systems of care and ensuring programs are meeting the needs of the young people they serve."

Read more about the legislation and its impact: https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2026/07/24/whitmer-signs-bills-reforming-michigans-juvenile-justice-system

07/22/2026

What does it take to build a stronger behavioral health crisis workforce?

In a recent episode of Crisis Jam, Amy Watson, faculty lead and co-principal investigator of the CBHJ's Behavioral Health Crisis Provider Training Program, and Wayne State University School of Social Work Ph.D. candidate Kellan McNally discuss the future of crisis care and the importance of investing in workforce development, training and person-centered approaches.

These are the same priorities driving the CBHJ's work to strengthen behavioral health crisis response across Michigan.

Check out the conversation below to learn more. https://youtu.be/a_kgUWXOplw?si=xYfaueb4Wga7MyR1

07/20/2026

Don't miss the latest from CBHJ! From new research and resources to upcoming events and project updates, our mailing list is the best way to stay informed about the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice's work across Michigan.

If you're not already subscribed, we'd love to have you join our community.
Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4wjzbcv

07/15/2026

What makes an AOT program successful? Two new studies suggest the answer goes beyond treatment alone.

New research highlights the importance of collaboration, supportive services, peer support, and meaningful community connections in improving outcomes for people with serious mental illness.

Together, these findings reinforce that effective AOT is about more than treatment. It's about building systems of care that help people thrive.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4aurckA

07/13/2026

Community voices are helping shape the next chapter of Well Wayne Stations. The Well Wayne Stations initiative is using community feedback alongside overdose and distribution data to guide where free naloxone (Narcan) and harm reduction supplies can have the greatest impact.

Together with the Wayne County, Michigan Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, we're strengthening equitable access to lifesaving resources in the communities that need them most. Read more: https://bit.ly/3SUXuiB