Welcome to the Michigan Association of Clubhouses!

Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse celebrated its 20 year anniversary on Thursday, December 2, 2011 and was written up in southeastern Oakland County's newspaper, the Daily Tribune.  

Read the article below, or click here to see it as it appeared in the actual newspaper.

Congratulations, Dreams! And best wishes for another 20 great years!

By Jerry Wolffe, For the Daily Tribune

ROYAL OAK — It took a federal lawsuit to get the Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse opened, but neighbors and the community have now accepted the people and program administered by Easter Seals Michigan.

Following a Department of Justice lawsuit, the Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse opened on Dec. 1, 1991, at 1222 Catalpa Drive. People with serious mental illness go to the facility for rehabilitation and to find ways to become productive members of society. They rely not only on the staff members located there, but also on each other to cope with each day's new challenges.

"When we chose to move the program to Royal Oak several years ago, they (residents and city officials) didn't want us there," said Brent Wirth, president and executive director of Easter Seals Michigan. However, the Department of Justice intervened and the clubhouse was established.

"We've had zero problems ever since," said Wirth, indicating the existence of the clubhouse is breaking down the stigma attached to mental illness.

"We help the clubhouse members get back into society. They learn, gain skills and develop peer relationships and a bigger support network," he said. "The members are at a point of recovery where they are trying to get their skills polished to go out and work and be independent.

"Members and staff work side by side," he said, referring to such things as planning meals, activities and daily tasks.

Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison, Dreams Unlimited members and staff and executives from Easter Seals Michigan and the Oakland County Community Health Authority, which provides the funding, helped make Thursday's anniversary celebration a success.

The Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse is open Monday through Friday and on holidays. It also is wheelchair-accessible.

The estimated 150 people served at the facility each month also do maintenance work such as cutting grass, Wirth said.

Sometimes a person who had been going to the clubhouse and no longer needs mental health care returns to visit because "they have made friends with people there," Wirth said. "Sometimes the friends they meet become like family members. We know people who have recovered and come back to help others."

A huge round of applause to Traverse House, who just received notification that they have been awarded a three year conditional accreditation from the ICCD!  You guys rock!  (See Signe’s announcement below the images.)

Way to go Traverse House!

Hello All:

At the last MAC meeting, I was supposed to send around a sign up sheet for folks who want to be on the MAC email list and I forgot to do it!  

If you would like to be sent an invite to the MAC email list, please send an email to summer.berman@gmail.com or click here to add yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Summer

The following is taken from the MDCH website.  For more information see https://janus.pscinc.com/dualeligibles/

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to be one of 15 states to take part in an initiative to develop new ways to provide services and supports to individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, commonly referred to as "dual eligibles." This population represents individuals with some of the most complex needs, yet they are currently subject to episodic and fragmented care as they navigate two programs with distinctly different rules. There are over 200,000 such individuals in Michigan.

"Our main priority and focus in this project is providing quality care," said Olga Dazzo, Director of the MDCH.  "It is our goal to do this right so that Michigan residents have better access to care that ultimately will provide them with better, more person-centered care."

MDCH looks to develop a system that integrates Medicare and Medicaid services into a seamless system of care and support. This will simplify overall access to services for participants with a goal of improving the quality of their care. The project will provide a person-centered focus across the spectrum of health care services including primary care, acute care, long-term care, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. Unified care coordination will help remove existing inefficiencies and duplication. The system will combine Medicare and Medicaid funding streams to eliminate obstacles relating to reimbursement.  

MDCH has a mailbox available for persons who wish to submit comments and questions via e-mail.  These can be sent to IntegratedCare@michigan.gov.

Starting in early November, four stakeholder work groups will meet to provide more in-depth input into the state's plan for integrated care. The work groups will serve in an advisory capacity, providing useful direction to MDCH on several aspects of the plan to integrate care for dually eligible beneficiaries. The work groups will meet three times, each between early November and mid-December.

The four work groups are:

• Care Coordination and Assessment
• Education, Outreach, and Enrollee Protections
• Performance Measurement and Quality Management
• Service Array and Provider Network

Details regarding this stakeholder opportunity can be found in L 11-36.