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Division of Environmental Community Services

Division of Environmental Community Services

Carin Speidel, Division Director - 517-243-6227

The Division of Environmental Community Services is comprised of 3 sections:

  • Lead Certification and Compliance Section (LCCA)
  • Residential Environmental Services Section (RESS)
  • Care Coordination Section (CCS)

The Division of Environmental Community Services provides leadership in the intervention of adverse health outcomes at a home and child level related to exposure to lead or environmental hazards through collaboration with clinicians, communities and local, state and federal public health authorities. Division staff provide support and services to individuals and organizations affected by lead exposure and other environmental contamination. 

 

Lead Certification & Compliance Assurance Section

Jennifer Shutts, Section Manager - 517-284-4817

The purpose of the Lead Certification and Compliance Assurance Section is to protect public health through lead-based paint training, certification and regulatory compliance while ensuring internal quality standards.

Lead Certification and Compliance Assurance Section units include:

Certification and Enforcement Unit

Michael Lowery, Unit Manager - 517-897-0955

The Lead Certification and Enforcement Unit focuses on:

  • Certifying individuals to conduct lead-based paint abatement activities statewide.
  • Regulatory oversight of individuals conducting lead-based paint abatement activities.
  • Lead abatement professional workforce development initiatives. 
  • Monitoring and complying with related radiation safety requirements.
  • Providing technical guidance and education to the regulated individuals, public, communities, state/city/county programs, etc. through numerous avenues (email; print; digital; phone; in-person mentoring; etc.).
  • Landlord cooperation for lead abatement programs.
  • Other special project assistance, as necessary.

Quality Assurance Unit

Rajita Dnyate, Unit Manager - 517-242-9946

The Quality Assurance Unit focuses on:

  • Reviewing processes and services performed by the Division of Environmental Community Services (DECS).
  • Providing quality assurance services throughout EHB.
  • Identifying gaps and improvements in policies and procedures for DECS.
  • Working with stakeholders to identify changes in procedures and policies for DECS.
  • Identifying and improving data collection and data integrity for effective reporting.
  • Determining training opportunities for process improvement.
  • Establishing quality audits for effective program implementation.
  • Inspire quality focused innovative work practices through networking and information exchanges.

 

Residential Environmental Services Section

Chad Rhodes, Section Manager - 517-599-6737

The Residential Environmental Services Section is responsible for administration of home lead exposure prevention safety net programs, as prescribed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as necessary to comply with Michigan Public Health Code 368 (MCL 333.2221).

Lead Abatement Unit

Mike Charest, Unit Manager - 517-599-6431

The Lead Abatement Unit focuses on:

  • Oversight of lead abatement in homes, through the Michigan Lead Safe Home Program, to remediate lead hazards and sources of lead exposure.
  • Relocation and other coordination services for families before, during and after lead abatement services.
  • Grants and technical assistance to local communities to administer local lead hazard control programs.
  • Management of Lead Abatement specifications, policies and processes. 
  • All environmental professionals within the unit are highly trained and certified by the State of Michigan through the Lead Certification and Enforcement Unit, ensuring that all work adheres to rigorous safety standards and state regulations. Their expertise plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health of Michigan's children and families.

Program Operation Unit

Michael Jacobson, Unit Manager - 517-643-2346

The Program Operations Unit plays a critical role in the successful implementation of lead service programs by:

  • Overseeing the intake process for DECS services. 
  • Implementing the procurement processes for lead inspections and lead abatement, with support from the Financial Services Office.
  • Data entry, management and quality assurance for all lead services applications, lead inspection reports and lead abatement data in MICLEAR. 
  • Federal Medicaid and HUD reporting on DECS activities. 
  • Development and management of policies and processes for administrative support functions of lead service programs. 
  • Determining training opportunities for process improvement.

Lead Inspection Unit

Tyler Maraskine, Unit Manager - 517-388-9423

The Lead Inspection Unit focuses on:

  • Providing residential lead inspection services to households across Michigan, to identify lead hazards and sources of lead exposure in homes. 
  • Primary and Secondary Prevention Inspection Services (before or after a child is exposed to lead).
  • Assurance through a mentorship program, job shadowing and report reviews to ensure lead inspection reports are of highest quality. 
  • Management of Lead Inspection reporting templates, policies and processes. 
  • All environmental professionals within the unit are highly trained and certified by the State of Michigan through the Lead Certification and Enforcement Unit, ensuring that every inspection adheres to rigorous safety standards and state regulations. Their expertise plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health of Michigan's children and families.

 

Care Coordination Section

Angela Medina, Section Manager - 517-897-5203

The Care Coordination Section is responsible for providing support for nursing case management and family support services to address lead exposure prevention and response, including coordinating the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP), as necessary to comply with Michigan Public Health Code 368 (MCL 333.2221). 

All blood lead test results completed in Michigan are required to be reported to the section within 5 business days. The blood lead data is shared with a number of state programs for their use, including Michigan Care Improvement Registry, the Lead Safe Home Program, the MiTracking Program, Medicaid and the MDHHS Foster Care Program.

The biggest assets in the section’s work to prevent lead poisoning across Michigan are the local health departments. Any time a child is identified as having an elevated blood lead level, the section works with the local health departments to connect the child with resources like in-home nurse case management, environmental investigations and abatement services through the Lead Safe Home Program and referrals to other health and human services programs.

Lead Testing Support Unit

The Lead Testing Support Unit focuses on:

  • Leading the implementation of Universal Blood Lead Testing across the state of Michigan. 
  • Developing best practices to increase blood lead testing overall, as well as capillary to venous confirmatory testing. 
  • Implementing the LeadCare II Distribution Project to providers across Michigan. 
  • Development and management of policies and processes for lead testing support functions of CLPPP. 
  • Grants and technical assistance to local health departments for CLPPP activities.
  • Federal and state reporting on CDC and MCH block grant funding activities. 

Nursing Case Management Unit

The Nursing Case Management Unit focuses on:

  • Developing and maintaining best practices for nursing case management activities for children with elevated blood lead levels. 
  • Technical assistance to and monitoring of local health departments in providing case management services.
  • Development and management of policies and processes for case management functions of CLPPP.
  • Determining training opportunities for improvement in case management activities.

NCM Information Management Unit

Sarah Williams, Unit Manager - 517-335-1103

The NCM Information Management Unit focuses on:

  • Maintaining the data systems within DECS and ensuring timely processing and reporting of blood lead test results. These data systems include:
    • MICLPS: Collects and processes blood lead test results.
    • MICLEAR Case Management: Used by local health departments to document and monitor case management activities.
  • Reporting of thousands of blood lead test results to other programs, local health departments and partner agencies who are responsible for following up and providing services to children with elevated blood lead levels.
  • Developing and maintaining processes to improve the quality of blood lead data and matching results across MDHHS data systems. 
  • Development and management of policies and processes for data functions of CLPPP.