Current Projects
In addition to CHRT’s cornerstone programs–the health policy fellowship, the Washtenaw Health Initiative, and the physician and consumer surveys–CHRT regularly manages mission-relevant research, demonstration, and educational projects with funding from public sector partners, as well as paid consulting projects for public and private sector clients.
Featured Projects
Washtenaw County Public Safety and Mental Health Preservation Millage implementation
Client(s): Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
Need: Community partners in public safety seek to reduce the number of low-risk, low-level offenders with moderate to severe mental illness or substance use in jail and to redirect them to a supported and well-resourced path to community-based recovery.…
CHRT's Role: CHRT is working with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health to implement the recommendations of the Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Advisory Council. These recommendations for mental health millage investments include expanding crisis services, increasing prevention work, enhancing youth services, addressing…
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Applying complex systems modeling to understand and strengthen Washtenaw County’s local acute mental health crisis care system
Client(s): University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry
Need: Communities across the state and nation are struggling to respond to mental health crises quickly and with positive outcomes for those in crisis. A shortage of mental health providers, staffed inpatient beds, and other systems problems create…
CHRT's Role: The CHRT team will 1) assist in identifying the sources of local data–from community mental health, law enforcement, education, and other organizations–to help UNC researchers build the Washtenaw-specific model, and 2) serve as project manager for the research.
Staff:
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Providing backbone support to the Washtenaw Health Initiative
Client(s): Washtenaw Health Initiative
Need: The Patient and Protection Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010. The most sweeping health care reform the U.S. had seen in decades, the ACA was meant to dramatically increase access to health insurance for those…
CHRT's Role: CHRT provides backbone support to the WHI and serves as the initiative’s fiduciary agent. In this role CHRT is responsible for:
• Serving as a neutral convener to facilitate the WHI Steering Committee’s activities (including the WHI’s overall strategic agenda).
• Housing the WHI’s Project Manager, who…
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Educational opportunities for Michigan legislators and legislative staff
Client(s):
Need: Due to the substantial turnover and subsequent loss of subject matter expertise in health issues in both the House and Senate each election cycle, there is a need for support of the incoming legislators and their…
CHRT's Role:
Meet with IPPSR and legislators and staff to gain input on topics for primers, discussions, and forums
Develop primers based on input received and…
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Lessons learned from the Pfizer Foundation’s community health innovation grant program for infectious disease control in underserved communities
Client(s): Direct Relief
Need: With funding from the Pfizer Foundation, Direct Relief runs a community health innovation award program for infectious disease control in underserved communities across the U.S. To improve the program and share…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will collaborate with Direct Relief staff members to monitor, track, and analyze the progress of grantees over a two-year period. Throughout the two-year evaluation, CHRT will:
Review grantee…
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Health education opportunities for Michigan legislators and legislative staff, Phase II
Client(s):
Need: Due to the substantial turnover and subsequent loss of subject matter expertise in health issues in both the state House and Senate each election cycle, there is a need to support of both legislators and their staff. This project will help build…
CHRT's Role: In Phase I of this project, CHRT, IPPSR, and Health Fund staff gathered input from legislators and legislative staff on topics of interest for primers, discussions, and forums. To date, CHRT has developed three primers to coincide with two discussion forums:
The…
Staff:
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Evaluating and sustaining mom circles with early childhood education
Client(s): Children of the Rising Sun
Need: The overall mission of Children of the Rising Sun (CRS) is to strengthen early childhood educational opportunities and services to improve the quality of life for Detroit families. In many cases, the mothers of…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will assist CRM in evaluating the nine-month pilot program, which concluded in June 2024, and implementing a Year Two evaluation plan. Specifically, CHRT will:
Develop organizational capacity,…
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Medicaid for moms
Client(s): Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Need: Michigan’s maternal mortality rate is 73 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Black women facing rates 4.5 times higher than white women. In Detroit, maternal deaths occur at three times the national average. Over 60% of these deaths are preventable,…
CHRT's Role: CHRT, in collaboration with the Southeast Michigan Health Association, will address this gap by developing and disseminating accessible, culturally tailored materials to promote awareness and utilization of Medicaid benefits for mothers in Southeast Michigan. This initiative will focus on improving health literacy, expanding…
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Evaluation: Community violence intervention initiative
Client(s): Washtenaw County
Need: Washtenaw County has been experiencing an increase in retaliatory violence, particularly among individuals who have been victims of violence themselves. This cycle of violence not only endangers the immediate individuals involved but also poses…
CHRT's Role: CHRT will evaluable the expansion and enhancement of Washtenaw County's Life is Valuable Everyday (WeLIVE) initiative. WeLIVE is a hybrid community violence intervention initiative that integrates hospital-based violence intervention and street outreach and violence interruption approaches.
The objectives for the evaluation…
Staff:
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