History

In April 2022, Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions (UPHCS) hosted the first-ever UP-wide Behavioral Health Summit,
bringing together over 50 direct care providers, funders, and community stakeholders. The summit focused on identifying
the region’s most pressing behavioral health access challenges and exploring evidence-based solutions for implementation
across all 15 counties.

Following the summit, and with support from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, UPHCS established the Behavioral
Health Committee (BHC), led by a local psychiatrist, to continue this critical work. Meeting bi-monthly, the committee
addressed core regional priorities:

• Access across the continuum of care
• Care transitions
• Funding and evaluation
• Workforce development
• Cross-system communication

Building on strong partnerships with local health systems, community organizations, and regional leaders, the BHC laid
the groundwork for UPHCS to secure a larger HRSA planning grant. This funding now drives the creation of the Upper
Peninsula Behavioral Health Network—a coordinated regional effort to improve access, strengthen the workforce, and
ensure better mental health outcomes for all UP residents.

As a result of this event, UPHCS, with support from the Michigan Health Endowment fund, developed a UPHCS
Behavioral Health Committee (BHC), facilitated by a local psychiatrist. The UPHCS BHC members met bi-monthly to
address key aspects of the regional BH/SUD needs including; Access Across the Continuum of Care, Care Transitions,
Funding/Evaluation, Workforce Development, and Cross System Communication.

Partnerships with local health and community organizations resulted in UPHCS being awarded a larger HRSA planning
grant to develop the UP-wide Behavioral Health Network.