News

On November 5, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund approved new grants to strengthen aging supports, nonprofit capacity, community-driven solutions, and collaborative approaches to address statewide health challenges.

MEJI was equally delighted that the Health Fund announced its support for a project proposed by the  Bay County Department on Aging to help petitioners, older adults, and adults with disabilities explore legal alternatives to guardianship. Bay County's grant will build on the work of MEJI's successful Michigan Guardianship Diversion Project, also funded by the Health Fund, which, in its first year, reduced guardianships in Bay county by more than 40%.  

MEJI is grateful for the Health Fund's continuing support for innovative projects that seek to improve Michigan's guardianship system.  We are excited to begin work on our new project and congratulate Bay County Department on Aging on its successful proposal. 

A pair of grants — one to the Bay County Department on Aging and one to the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative (MEJI) — will work to reduce overreliance on highly restrictive guardianships as a response to neglect and other issues vulnerable adults face.

The Bay County project will build on MEJI's successful guardianship diversion pilot that — in partnership with the county probate court — helps petitioners, older adults, and adults with disabilities explore legal alternatives to guardianship and access community resources.

Meanwhile, the MEJI project will establish a statewide center to address systemic flaws in Michigan’s adult guardianship system. The project would serve as a hub for education, collaboration, and innovation, ensuring that reforms are embedded in practice.

For more information, please read: https://mihealthfund.org/new-grants-deploy-13-million-for-healthy-michigan-communities