Macomb Community Mental Health CEO John Kinch Announces Retirement

Macomb County Community Mental Health CEO John Kinch has announced his retirement, effective January 4, 2019.

"I have been a voice of 'mental health' for more than 33 years," Kinch told the Macomb County Community Mental Health Board in a letter announcing his retirement. "While I will never stop being such a voice, I do plan to retire."

During Kinch's more than three decades at MCCMH - eight of which have been as CEO - he has navigated through budget cuts, new approaches to treating mental health care and substance abuse, reducing administrative costs below the state average and advocating for funding to provide persons served with vital services that improve their quality of life.

"Mr. Kinch has provided strong and effective leadership for MCCMH during the most difficult budget times in memory," said Jim Losey, MCCMH deputy director. "He has championed efforts for restoration of funding while also consistently ensuring the focus on the consumer is never lost. His leadership and advocacy for the consumer at the local and state level will be missed."

Recently, MCCMH has incurred cuts totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, which Kinch was instrumental in recovering part of. Kinch recovered funding in the most difficult of fiscal environments such as helping to restore $5 million of lost Medicaid funds in 2017. The cuts - called rebasing - were part of a multiyear effort to move to a new statewide Medicaid rate for Michigan's prepaid inpatient health plans. Some PIHPs, mostly in rural counties, have received increases, and some had their budgets cut, including Macomb.

After completing degrees in clinical psychology and applied behavior analysis, Kinch was a behavioral therapist and psychologist. He joined the staff of Macomb County Community Mental Health in 1986 and has served in roles of increasing responsibility culminating in the role of chief executive officer in 2010. In that position, Kinch has remained dedicated to individual choice, inclusion, effective treatment and participation for all.

"I believe we have created a wonderful network of care," Kinch told his staff when he announced his retirement. "That also includes the valued role each of you hold as CMH staff."

"While the challenges that are in front of us are great, the opportunities are even greater. Believe it!" said Kinch.

A search committee was formed to search for a new CEO, which selected, via Board approval, David Pankotai who has been the executive director of ConsumerLink Network, a managed comprehensive provider network (MCPN), since 2002. ConsumerLink, funded by the Wayne County Mental Health Authority manages services and supports for persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Pankotai started December 17.

Macomb County Community Mental Health is the public provider of mental health, substance use and developmental disability treatment services in Macomb County. MCCMH programs and services are supported and funded, in part, by the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Macomb County Board of Commissioners and are administered by the Macomb County Community Mental Health Board. Visit mccmh.net for more information or check them out on Facebook.