We applaud Jeff Gerritt for his focus on the plight of people with mental illness (“Mentally ill prisoners find little treatment in overwhelmed county jails,” May 6). He pointed out an important element of the service system for people with mental illness that is broken.

The structural problems with the absence of Medicaid and other health insurance for people in county jails may or may not be solvable. The inadequate funding for the county Community Mental Health organizations has been well documented, and those organizations’ ability to serve people in county jails is inconsistent.

We believe the state needs to develop a strategy for adequately funding mental health services for people incarcerated in jail, whether directly to the sheriffs’ departments, directly to the Community Mental Health organizations, or through resolving the insurance benefit issues. Given that prisoners with other diseases are not denied treatment, we join in questioning why those with mental illness don’t receive the treatment they need, especially since withholding treatment exacerbates the very behavior for which they may have been incarcerated.

Ben Y. Robinson
President and CEO Rose Hill Center, Holly

Interested in reading more from Jeff? You can find his full series on Criminal Negligence here.

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Dick has served on Rose Hill Center’s Board and its Executive Committee since its inception in 1989.  He became Treasurer in 1992 and was also elected Treasurer of Rose Hill Foundation when it was established in 2003.  The Boards’ fiduciary responsibility is paramount to Dick as evidenced by his prudent oversight of budgets, financial statements and investments.  He has been a member of numerous committees and involved in a variety of projects.  Dick has been influential in Rose Hill’s past successes and he continues to be instrumental in securing Rose Hill’s future.

All of us at Rose Hill would like to thank Dick for all he has done for our organization, and congratulate him on his much-deserved honor!

From left: Rosemary & Dan Kelly, Founders of Rose Hill Center; Sheila Hess, Friend; Dick & Marianne Walsh; Ben Robinson, President of Rose Hill Center; Gayle Flanigan, Director of Development at Rose Hill Center

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Pat Conn joins Rose Hill as our new PT Contractual Psychologist.  She comes to us with over 22 years of experience in both private and governmental therapy programs.  Pat enjoys working with people to improve their lives, and she says she’s very excited to be a part of the Rose Hill treatment team.  She will be providing group and individual therapy services, and she is available for private pay individual therapy on a referral basis. 

Pam Yocom recently became our newest Case Manager.  Pam comes to us with 25 years experience in the mental health field, with experience as a case manager at a structured work program and also as a supervisor for outreach case management and day programs.  Pam is from Clio and is married with a son.  She loves gardening and is thrilled to be part of  Rose Hill.

All of us at Rose Hill are happy to have Pat and Pam join our team, and we hope everyone will take some time to welcome them to our family.

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Kathleen was nominated by Rose Hill’s V.P. of Programs, Cheryl LeClear Wallace. Cheryl began the nomination application by saying: “It is my privilege to be able to honor the dedication, compassion, and leadership Kathleen has exhibited during her 16 years of service at Rose Hill Center.” Furthermore, she wrote “Kathleen is central to our agency running effectively. She is a trusted leader who supports the mission of Rose Hill Center, represents the organization well and, above all else, is dedicated to the well-being of the residents.”

During an average year, Rose Hill serves between 110 and 120 individuals in its on-campus programming, and another 20 who have graduated and live in nearby communities. Kathleen knows every resident in our mental illness treatment center, and she is an advocate for each of them.

After outlining Kathleen’s many accomplishments since she began working at our mental illness treatment facility, Cheryl concluded her nomination letter: “But this nomination is not just about Kathleen’s responsibilities or her years of dedication — it’s about the positive attitude she brings to Rose Hill each day; her willingness to listen to residents and staff alike; her desire to be just and fair, innovative and supportive; and her innate desire to move every resident toward recovery.”

Kathleen was honored at MALA’s recent annual conference where she was presented with a Spirit of Service plaque and a U.S. savings bond.

Kathleen and her husband live in Holly Township.

(Photos and a copy of the complete nomination form outlining Kathleen’s responsibilities and accomplishments are available upon request.)

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