It might surprise you to learn that of all county departments, none is as large as Macomb County Community Mental Health.

Supported by federal, state and local tax dollars, it provides supportive services to those with mental illness, residents consumed by substance abuse problems or those with developmental disabilities. Their services are many and include crisis intervention, counseling, inpatient care, job training and supportive housing.

Using government dollars from many sources means that there are lots of rules and regulations that must be adhered to. In fact, the services provided to just one consumer pass through the hands of many employees. Each is charged with an important and independent responsibility to ensure that services rendered are appropriate. For instance, the Office of Recipient Rights is responsible for ensuring that people are treated properly and with dignity. The Office of Corporate Compliance ensures that all money is handled properly.

Because the responsibilities are different and complicated enough on their own, these two offices typically work independently. They did anyway until a problem was uncovered at the state level that alleged that a Macomb County mental health service contractor had violated the rights of a vulnerable adult - including the misuse of personal property and accepting payment for services not rendered. While the state was normally responsible for investigating these claims, employee cutbacks on their end made it impossible to do a thorough job. Community Mental Health - committed to its mission protect and serve - wasted no time in getting involved.

Working together for the first time, the two offices developed a new set of tools that would ensure an accurate and efficient investigation. Because they couldn't neglect ongoing activities, staff put in many long hours to conduct the investigation - including Saturdays. Ultimately, they were able to prove that nearly 250,000 had been mishandled.

The evidence they uncovered made it possible for the State's Attorney Generals office to prosecute and win. Needless to say, the contractor in question is no longer working for the county and a new system is in place to catch these despicable types of activities before they get out of hand.

For more information, click Community Mental Health