Member Engagement/Advocacy
Member Engagement Initiative
Member Engagement (ME) elevates the voice and experience of members. The team does this by providing oversight to the clubhouse and drop-in providers, as well as member and peer related activities. The team also oversees and promotes the use of research and data to guide decision-making, whether in the form of publications, programs, policies or practices. The overall aim for this unit is to enhance social and community inclusion for members. Some ME projects include Constituents’ Voice member advisory group, Community Delegates, Ambassadors, Reaching for the Stars, Dreams Come True mini-grant and Micro-peer enterprises.
Advocacy
There are many ways to get involved in advocacy and working with local and state legislators to discuss important mental health and disability-related issues. One of the best ways is to get connected to one of the various advocacy organizations located throughout Michigan. Click the button below for details.
- Constituents Voice Ambassador Nicole Gowan talks to DWIHN CEO/President Eric Doeh about crisis services (click to watch)
Member Activities
Constituents' Voice
The Constituents’ Voice is the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network member advisory group. The Constituents’ Voice is made up of persons served, peers and advocates, and provides oversight to various DWIHN projects. They meet every third Friday of the month from 10:00am–12pm and meetings are open to the public. Learn More CV Application
Peer Services
Peers are people who have first-hand experience of living with a disability and provide professional help to others like themselves. The DWIHN employs several categories of peers: Peer Support Specialists, Recovery Coaches, Parent Partners, Youth Peer Support Specialists, and Community Health Workers, and Peer Mentors. DWIHN offers several trainings and events for peers throughout the year. To become a peer, learn how to get the services of a peer, or for peer trainings send email to MemberEngagement@dwihn.org or call 313-833-2500. Learn More Brochure Peer Mentor Video
Dreams Come True
The Dreams Come True Fund, a project of the DWIHN Constituents' Voice consumer advisory group. It was created to support Detroit-Wayne consumers/members achieve a personal goal toward community inclusion i.e., the personal sense of valued participation and interaction in everyday life. Awards are up to $500 per individual. To qualify, applicants must live in Wayne County, MI and be active recipients of community mental health services. The 2024 application submission period is NOW OPEN. For more information, contact us by email: MemberEngagement@dwihn.org; or dial 313-833-2500 on your telephone keypad. Watch Our Video HERE
Community Delegates
The Community Delegates are stakeholders who are trained and certified to advocate for members’ equity and equality. To learn more, contact us by email to: MemberEngagement@dwihn.org; or call us at 313-833-2500.
EVOLVE!
Monthly consumer meeting. EVOLVE stands for Engaging Voices Offering Love/Laughter/Lessons Validating Experiences. The meetings occur on the 4th Thursday of each month, rotating designated locations. To learn more, contact us by sending an email to: MemberEngagement@dwihn.org; or call us at 313-833-2500.
Walk-A-Mile In My Shoes
Walk A Mile in My Shoes is an annual advocacy event held in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The event is designed to support public behavioral healthcare. This rally aims to highlight the need for increased funding for mental health services, raises awareness of behavioral health needs in health and policy discussions and works to banish behavioral health stigmas. (Event details will be announced.)
Reaching for the Stars Awards Luncheon
Reaching for the Stars is an annual Fall event for members. It involves recognition of member accomplishments. (Event details will be announced.) To learn more, contact us by email: MemberEngagement@dwihn.org; or call 313-833-2500.
Member Experience Activities
While Member Experience is a relatively new term used by DWIHN, it is not a new practice for us. DWIHN has taken several measures over the years to include member feedback as part of its strategic planning and further use the data collected to initiate process improvement plans that benefit the entire system. Whether through focus groups, system-wide surveys like the Adult ECHO® or Children’s ECHO, the Needs Assessment Survey, Recovery Self-Assessment, the review of grievances, appeals, rights violations and/or other tools and events, DWIHN Member Experience staff continually looks for ways to measure the efficacy, efficiency, and satisfaction of its members toward better individual, organization and system-level outcomes. For more information about Member Experience, contact Kiva Redmond by email kredmond@dwihn.org; or call 313-833-2500.
For more information about Member Engagement, please send email to: MemberEngagement@dwihn.org
