Mental health crises too often land people in jail instead of hospitals.

That’s what happened in Traverse City, where this weekend, a man attacked 11 random Walmart shoppers. According to his family, he had suffered for decades from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and he “fell through the cracks” of the system again.

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, four people died after a shooter opened fire in an office building housing NFL offices. The gunman pleaded grievances in a note tied to suspected brain injuries and noted a mental health history.

These incidents remind us why reforming the system—and the people who interact with it—matters.

In Wayne County, nearly half of the people in jail are medicated for severe mental illness. And 911 received over 15,000 mental health calls last year alone.

Over the past decade, a coalition of groups has been working to change how we respond to things like mental health crises in Wayne County. It’s having an impact.

Since 2016, jail bookings in Wayne County dropped more than 50%.

Police now receive specialized training, social workers ride alongside officers, and mobile crisis teams sometimes respond without law enforcement.

At the center of this transformation is Dr. Sheryl Kubiak. She’s the founding director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at Wayne State University and dean of Wayne State’s School of Social Work. Her team has led pilot programs, built shared data systems, and worked to break down silos.

She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to share what’s working, what still needs to change, and how communities can respond before crisis turns to catastrophe.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the world has felt different for a lot of American Jews. Much of that is related to Israel’s ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. For almost two years, Israel has been responding to Hamas’ brutal attacks in Gaza. 

The results have been devastating for Palestinians. About 55,000 people have been killed from that war. Starvation has become a profound issue after Israel’s months-long food aid blockade a few months ago. 

This is an ongoing problem, as Israel has been striking food aid centers which happened just two days ago, killing 74 people. In America, Jews generally support the Jewish-majority country that is Israel. But there are some who feel that, whether they feel kinship with Israel or not, the country’s government needs to be held accountable. 

That’s true for many members of Jewish Voice for Peace. A number of people in the anti-Zionist group are participating in a “rolling solidarity fast” to help bring more attention to the starvation happening in Gaza. 

Ruby Shapiro, a member of the local Detroit chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, joined The Metro to share more about their effort.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro