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Michigan Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths - MichiCANS

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Michigan Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths - MichiCANS

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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has implemented a standardized assessment process using a tool called the Michigan Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (MichiCANS).  As of October 1, 2024, all Community Mental Health Service Providers (CMHSP), Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHP), and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in Michigan will be incorporating the MichiCANS into their access, intake, and service planning processes for children, youth, and their families/caregivers. 

The MichiCANS is an information integration tool designed to explore and communicate the needs and strengths of the child/youth and family. This approach allows staff to listen to the experiences of the child and family. Together, the child, family, and care team can prioritize action steps and track changes.

The MichiCANS includes domains that focus on important areas of the child’s/youth’s life. The MichiCANS also includes ratings that help the provider, child/youth, and family understand:

  1. where intensive or immediate action is most needed and
  2. where a child/youth has strengths that can become a major part of the treatment or service plan. 

The MichiCANS consists of two parts: the MichiCANS Screener and the MichiCANS Comprehensive. The Screener is completed at the child/youth’s point of access; and the MichiCANS Comprehensive is completed at intake and periodically during the implementation of services to reflect growth, progress, and changes in life events. The information that is collected through the MichiCANS Screener flows into the MichiCANS Comprehensive to avoid requiring the family to share their experiences multiple times. 

Please direct questions regarding the MichiCANS to MDHHS-MichiCANS@michigan.gov

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