Oakland County's Office of Substance Abuse Services to Join OCCMHA Network

Oakland County’s Office of Substance Abuse Services (OSAS) will soon join the public mental health service network managed by Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority (OCCMHA). The transition of OSAS from the Oakland County Health Division to OCCMHA will be complete by October 1, 2014.

“The addition of OSAS to our network is a tremendous benefit to people in our community who have a substance use disorder, as well as a mental illness or a developmental disability,” says OCCMHA Executive Director & CEO, Willie Brooks. “While we’ve worked successfully together in the past, belonging to the same network enhances our ability to ensure that both the mental health and substance use needs of the people we serve are met.”

OSAS’s transition from the Health Division to OCCMHA results from a 2012 amendment to Michigan’s Mental Health Code. Public Acts 500 and 501 require that by October 1, 2014, all Substance Abuse Coordinating Agencies (CAs) merge with the state’s 10 Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PHIP). OCCMHA is a Michigan PIHP.

As a CA, OSAS funds and monitors substance use treatment and prevention programs throughout Oakland County for residents with Medicaid or no insurance. This includes screening and assessment for alcohol and drug treatment; information on substance abuse services and providers in Oakland County; and HIV early intervention practices like training, education, counseling and testing.

Individuals who currently receive assistance from an OSAS provider will continue to receive uninterrupted program services. There are no changes planned for current treatment programs or to the service agencies that provide them. OSAS will physically relocate its office to OCCMHA’s administrative building on Executive Hills Blvd. in Auburn Hills in late October.

“It’s important that as needs and services change, we progress with the appropriate response,” says Oakland County Director of Health & Human Services, George Miller. “Bringing OSAS under the OCCMHA umbrella presents a valuable opportunity for different service agencies to work more closely with one another when indentifying and providing treatment options that have the best health outcomes for people.”

Oakland County’s Prior Authorization and Central Evaluation (PACE) division which approves access to OSAS services will remain at the Health Division. PACE is currently located in the Resource & Crisis Center on the county campus.

Substance abuse is defined as the continued usage of drugs or alcohol to the extent that it results in significant impairment, including interference with one’s work, home, social relationships, or health in the previous 12 months. Nearly 6,000 people currently receive support from one of OSAS’ 14 treatment providers. More than 70,000 people receive prevention service from its nine prevention providers throughout Oakland County. For more information about OSAS and OCCMHA, contact customer services at (800) 341-2003.

About OCCMHA

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority is the public mental health system responsible for identifying, influencing, and delivering services and supports to approximately 23,000 Oakland County residents, including adults and children with developmental disabilities; adults with serious mental illness or substance use disorders; and children with serious emotional disturbance.

OCCMHA’s current network of service providers include: Common Ground, Community Housing Network, Community Living Services, Community Network Services, Easter Seals Michigan, Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, Oakland Family Services, Inc., and Training and Treatment Innovations. A complete list of substance use service providers will be available on OCCMHA’s website when OSAS joins the organization. For more information about OCCMHA call (800) 341-2003 or visit www.occmha.org.

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