May Resource Newsletter

Dear neighbor, 

Resources: 

Essential Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month: 

With one in five Americans and nearly 1.5 million Michiganders experiencing mental health issues each year, it’s important to remind ourselves to care for our mental and emotional health. If you find yourself emotionally struggling or experiencing a mental health crisis, please be sure to utilize the following resources and remember — you matter!

Crisis Lines 

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 is a 24/7 toll-free nationwide hotline that provides confidential and compassionate care for anyone struggling with behavioral health issues, emotional distress or substance use crisis. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit their Lifeline Chat to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
• Veterans Crisis Line: The Veterans Crisis line provides veterans and their family members with 24/7 confidential support. To connect, call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838-255. You do not have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to call.
• Trevor Lifeline: The Trevor Project has trained counselors who understand the challenges young people in the LGBTQ community face and are available for support 24/7. Call 1-866-488-7386, text 678-678, or click here to speak with a crisis counselor. 
  
  

Call Michigan 2-1-1 

• Michigan 2-1-1 is a toll-free service that provides residents with information. Specialists trained to assist community members will connect you with the proper resources. From utility payment assistance to household needs, 2-1-1 is a great tool for you and your loved ones to use.
• Though based in Lansing, MI, Michigan 2-1-1 supports about seven regions in the state of Michigan. You can text, email or call for help. For more information, click here.  

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

Visit FindTreatment.gov, a confidential and anonymous resource, to locate treatment facilities for mental and substance use disorders near you. 

Michigan Community Mental Health Services Programs 

CMHSPs provide a comprehensive range of services and support to children, adolescents, and adults with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders in all 83 Michigan counties. Find your local program here. 

Wayne County Cooling Centers: 

As we approach the summer season and temperatures rise, the need for cooling centers also grows. There are several cooling centers in Wayne County that provide services like cold air, water bottles, and charging stations for electronic devices. Here is a link to the official Wayne County website and list of currently open cooling centers: 

Warming & Cooling Centers | Homeland Security & Emergency Management (waynecounty.com) 

 DHHS SCAM ALERT:  

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is aware of an instance in which a scammer is spoofing the phone number to an MDHHS office to try to sell people health insurance coverage. There was a report of a call that was spoofing the phone number of the MDHHS Gratiot/7 Mile Road office in Wayne County. 

To appear more official, scammers often use a process known as “spoofing” – when a call appears to be coming from a legitimate government phone number. The caller may also sound professional and be very persuasive.  

Anyone who receives a phone call they suspect to be a scam should hang up the phone. No one should give out personal information to an unsolicited caller. Those who wish to make a report about potential scams, price-gouging and any other violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act can do so with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team by filing a complaint online or by calling 877-765-8388. 

Meals On Wheels: 

Meals on Wheels is a state and federally funded program that delivers warm, nutritional meals directly to the homes of senior citizens and adults with disabilities.

• • • Call Detroit Area Agency on Aging at 313-446-4444 to request a delivery.
    • For more information: https://www.detroitseniorsolution.org/nutrition-services/meals-on-wheels/ 

Wayne County Medical Debt Relief:

Wayne County has announced a new program to provide critical relief from medical debt and the financial hardship it has caused for up to 300,000 Wayne County residents. The County has teamed up with RIP Medical Debt, a national non-profit organization, that will work with providers like hospitals, health systems, and physician groups to relieve debt on behalf of its residents.  According to projections, up to $700 million in medical debt could be eliminated for these residents.  

To qualify for the program, residents with medical debt must earn at or below four times the federal poverty level or have debts that are 5% or more of their annual income. Funding is made possible, in part, by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Residents don’t need to apply for the program. RIP identifies individuals who meet the criteria and negotiates with health centers on their behalf to buy the debt in batches. Once this is complete, RIP sends them a letter indicating that their debt has been eliminated. 

Storm Damage Resources: 

Many have been affected by the storms that swept across Michigan recently. There are hyperlinked resources below from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) that you may find useful as you work with your insurance company to file a claim and repair damages. 

Additional information regarding severe weather preparedness is available on the DIFS website. Consumers experiencing issues with their insurer or claims process may file a complaint with DIFS at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints.    

Please feel free to contact the Office of Consumer Services toll free at 877-999-6442 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with any questions you  may have. DIFS can help answer questions regarding what an insurer must do and help explain policy language.  

DIFS Consumer Counselor: Insurance Policies and How to Claim What is Yours  

DIFS Guide to Resolving Insurance Problems/Complaint Form  

How to be “Claim Smart”  

DIFS Consumer Counselor: Homeownership vs. Repair Cost Policies   

InsuranceClaims Tracking Sheet   

More Storm Resources – from EGLE: 

With the tragic devastation caused by the tornadoes that recently ripped through southwest Michigan, the realities of storm season are fresh on our minds. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) encourages Michiganders to prepare as much as possible for severe storm events prior to them occurring. Here are some resources they recommend starting with: 

The MIReady Webpage provides ample resources to help residents prepare for emergencies like natural disasters, homeland security threats, and power outages. 

The EGLE Storm Recovery Webpage page provides resources that help local officials, emergency responders, recycling and disposal vendors, and residents respond to storm emergencies. It provides details on managing storm debris, how to stay informed during an emergency, and how to get an emergency disposal permit in the aftermath of a storm. 

Local officials, disposal and recycling vendors, and emergency responders are encouraged to use EGLE’s NEW Storm Debris Planning Tool before a storm occurs, to troubleshoot how to remove excess waste during an emergency and to how to prevent a nuance, public health threat, or environmental threat. 

Explore High-Wage, In-Demand Careers During Professional Trades Month 

With more than 520,000 Michigan jobs and approximately 45,500 annual openings in the professional trades projected by the year 2030, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to proclaim May as Professional Trades Month. The annual observance honors hard-working Michiganders in professional trades while encouraging students and adults to explore education and career opportunities leading to high-wage, in-demand careers. 

Businesses across Michigan need highly skilled workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction, education, energy, healthcare, hospitality, information technology, manufacturing, mobility and outdoor recreation. Many of these high-demand, high-wage careers do not require a four-year degree and have pathways that focus on credentials, certificates, on-the-job training, and Registered Apprenticeships. 

To learn more about high-wage, in-demand career opportunities in the professional trades, Michiganders can explore the following resources: 

State Apprenticeship Expansion, which allows users to explore registered apprenticeship opportunities in the state, offering paid work experience, related classroom instruction and a national industry-recognized credential upon program completion 

Going PRO Talent Fund, which helps individuals secure employment, industry-recognized credentials, and strong wages by providing training grants to Michigan businesses to support employees in high-demand, professional trades industries 

Pathfinder, which is the State of Michigan’s official career exploration resource that allows users to explore careers and identify educational opportunities throughout the state 

Additional Helplines and Resources: 

City of Detroit Health Department Resources:

A list of programs offered by the City of Detroit Health Department can be found here or by calling (313)-876-4000. 

Elder Abuse and Fraud:

• Office of the Attorney General:(800) 242-2873  
• Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Adult Protective Services: (855) 444-3911 

Food Pantries:

• CARES Food Pantry:
  27835 Shiawassee Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48336, Mon and Fri 10:00am-4:00pm, Tue-Thur 10:00am-6:00pm. 
• Redford Interfaith Relief: 
  18499 Beech Daly Road, Redford, Michigan 48240-1804, Wed-Fri 10:00am-2:00pm

Redford Township Public Services Department: 
Redfordtwp.com or (313)-387-2670 

Medicare Assistance:  
(800) 633-4227 or Medicare.gov 

Medicare Scams:  
Contact DIFs at Michigan.gov/DIFSComplaints or (877) 999-6442 

Student Advocacy Center of Michigan Student Helpline: 
 No-Cost support and education helpline: 734-482-0489 

Wayne State Mobile Health Unit:
waynehealthcares.org/Mobile-Health-Unit or (877) 929-6342 

Wayne County Public Health Community Response Updated Hotline: 
The new hotline: 734-858-1922 

Michigan Medicaid Assistance Program Counseling Sites: 

 Coffee and Conversation 

Date: June 14, 2024 
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm 
Venue: Apothecary Espresso and Coffee 
Organizer: Senator Cavanagh 

 
I hope to see you there! 

Livonia Spree

Recurring Community Meetings: 

Grandmont Community Association Board Meeting:
Saturday, June 1st @10:00am-12:00pm, Grandmont Rosedale Development Center, 19800 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48223  

Farmington City Council Meeting: 
1st and 3rd Mondays of the Month @7:00-8:00pm, Farmington City Hall, 23600 Liberty St, Farmington, MI 48335, USA 

College Park Neighborhood Meeting: 
1st Monday of the Month @ 6:30-8pm, Detroit Police 8th Precinct, 21555 W McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI 48219, USA 

Charter Township of Redford Board Meeting: 
2nd and 4th Tuesday of the Month @6:30-7:30pm, Redford Township Board Room – Township Hall, 15145 Beech Daly Road, Redford, MI 48239 

Livonia City Council Meeting 
Monday, June 3rd @7:00-8:00pm, Livonia City Hall, 33000 Civic Center Dr, Livonia, MI 48154, USA 

Detroit Chapter Families Against Narcotics Monthly Meeting: 
2nd Monday of the Month @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm 
Sheffield Center Complex, 12000 W. Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48204