Michigan’s Wayne County Agency Begins Conversion To Mental Health Authority

Circle Connections: Policy & Regulatory Updates Tom Watkins, the new CEO of the Detroit Wayne County Mental Health Authority, said the full transition from a Wayne County agency to an independent authority could take at least a full year. But on Oct. 1 the legal conversion will officially take place. As the nation's largest county mental health organization with more than 100 employees and a budget of $640 million, the Detroit Wayne County Mental Health Authority funds five managed care provider networks that serve 74,000 people with mental health and other developmental disabilities. Watkins, a former state school . . .