The Detroit Justice Center (DJC) is excited to invite you to our upcoming Mental Health Partner Convening, a dynamic one-and-a-half-day event focused on mental wellness, decriminalizing substance use, and harm reduction in Detroit and Wayne County. This convening will bring together advocates, service providers, organizers, and community leaders committed to creating a healthier, more just Detroit for all. This convening is a collaboration of the Detroit Justice Center; Michigan Liberation; ANSWER Detroit; Free People, Free People; the Moratorium NOW! Coalition; and Wayne State University Center for Behavioral Health and Justice.
Convening Dates, Times & Location:
- Wednesday, December 11, 2024 – 4:00pm – 7:00pm
- Thursday, December 12, 2024 – 8:30am – 5:00pm
- Location: Focus: HOPE, 1400 Oakman Blvd, Detroit, MI 48238
This convening is an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across sectors, build connections, and explore new solutions to the urgent challenges facing our communities.
Why Attend?
We’ve spent nearly two years conducting an ecosystem scan and research to better understand the state of mental health, substance use, and harm reduction services in Detroit. This convening builds on that work and invites participants to engage in deeper conversations about how we can better support people in need of care while reducing the harms of criminalization.
Key goals of the convening include:
- Building on the Ecosystem Scan: Learnings from DJC’s ongoing research, including meetings with local providers and community-based organizations, will inform the conversation as we explore the next steps for a more equitable, responsive system.
- Strengthening Collaboration: Connect with cross-sector leaders, community organizers, and service providers working to increase funding, improve infrastructure, and enhance services for individuals facing mental health, substance use, and harm reduction challenges.
- Exploring Non-Carceral Responses: We will explore alternatives to the carceral system, focusing on non-police, community-based responses to mental health crises, substance use, and harm reduction efforts that promote safety and dignity for all.
Panel Sessions
The convening will feature two panel discussions. Panelists will share the current landscape of mental health services, substance use and harm reduction supports, alongside barriers to success, implementation, policy change, funding, and more. This session will seek to answer “where are we now and how did we get here?” Community partners on the second panel will explore the alternative, non-carceral strategies, practices, and policies that are demonstrating success in Detroit and beyond. Panelists will seek to answer ‘how are we pressing past barriers and embracing new perspectives that create sustainable change in the ecosystem of mental wellness for Detroiters?’ Together, panelists will enrich the discussion as we collectively explore a healthier and just ecosystem of care for mental health, substance use and harm reduction that eliminates harm and unnecessary incarceration.
Data Gallery Walk
A highlight of the convening will be our Data Gallery Walk, where DJC will share key findings from our research. This interactive experience will allow participants to explore data on the availability of services, gaps in care, and opportunities for improvement while generating strategic thinking about addressing these critical issues in our city.
Through a partnership with two research consultants, we’ve gathered important data that will help us better understand the intersections between behavioral health, criminal justice involvement, and community care.
The insights from this gallery will serve as a critical resource as we move forward in our efforts to reimagine a Detroit that prioritizes health over punishment. Our researchers sought to answer two key questions: How are Detroiters being criminalized for issues related to behavioral health and harm reduction? What are the pressing mental health, substance use, and harm reduction needs in Detroit?
Virtual Conversations
In addition to our in-person convening, we will also be hosting two virtual conversations in partnership with MI-CEMI (Michigan Communities Empowered to Mobilize for Impact), on November 20, 2024 and December 18, 2024. The November session will kick off with an important discussion on Harm Reduction. This session will dive into the urgent need for non-carceral responses to substance use and mental health crises, exploring how harm reduction can help individuals make safer choices rather than face criminalization.
We’ll hear from local harm reduction agencies that are at the forefront of this work, advocating for policy changes, offering services, and working toward the decriminalization of substance use. These discussions will help us explore innovative solutions for addressing substance use, mental health, and other harm reduction needs in the city.
Ecosystem Scan & Community Insights
In 2023, DJC began an extensive ecosystem scan to understand the local landscape of care for mental health, substance use, and harm reduction services in Detroit. Throughout fifteen research and learning meetings, we gathered insights from grassroots organizations, community leaders, and service agencies. The scan identified critical gaps in services, funding needs, and opportunities for strengthening the system of care in Detroit.
Key takeaways include:
- Inadequate and limited mental health care resources.
- Harmful, often carceral responses to mental health crises.
- A lack of funding to adequately support the expansion of services.
- A critical shortage of services for youth in need of mental health and substance use support.
These findings will be summarized in a Mental Health Guidebook, which we are drafting. The guidebook will be full of recommendations collected through the ecosystem scan learning meetings and research reports. We will be gathering feedback on the recommendations during the convening, and later putting it into an official guidebook to be shared in 2025
The final report on the ecosystem scan will be released in 2025 and will provide a comprehensive overview of the research, findings, and strategic recommendations.
What to Expect
The convening will be a chance to engage with key stakeholders and thought leaders in the mental wellness and justice spaces, with opportunities for networking, discussion, and action. Participants will:
- Dive into critical conversations about how Detroit can better respond to mental health, substance use, and harm reduction needs.
- Explore existing and needed non-carceral responses to mental health crises.
- Take part in the Data Gallery Walk to better understand local mental health and harm reduction needs.
- Contribute to the development of strategic solutions aimed at creating a more just and supportive system for Detroiters.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative conversation about mental wellness, harm reduction, and the future of care in Detroit. The convening features free parking, child care, and meals. We look forward to seeing you there!
How to Register
Please register here to attend the Detroit Justice Center’s Mental Wellness Convening. Spaces are limited, so be sure to secure your spot today!
For more information, please contact us at info@detroitjustice.org. We can’t wait to see you in December!