It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Maura Corrigan on her retirement. Director Corrigan has been in her position since January 2011, which is unique because previous Department Directors have usually been in this position less than two years. Her consistent tenure brought strong direction to DHS and private agency providers, which has helped the State of Michigan make great gains in the safety of youth in care, collaboration between state and private agencies, movement towards a performance-based contracting system of care, and continued discussion and progress of being removed from the MSA. That’s just to name a few of the many initiatives overseen by Director Corrigan!
We have been thrilled to welcome Director Corrigan to our campuses on numerous occasions, most notably when she graciously offered to be the commencement speaker for the Spring 2014 graduating class of Wolverine Academy. I have personally been very grateful for the time Director Corrigan spent with me in Lansing, as we worked together to make Michigan’s child welfare system stronger and better for our youth and families.
We are excited to continue collaborative work with new acting director, Nick Lyon from the Department of Community Mental Health. We deeply appreciate the years of service Director Corrigan and her wonderful team have given to DHS. We look forward to continuing our partnership with DHS as our mission always remains “Helping Children to be Victors.”
Judith Fischer Wollack, LCSW, ACSW, LMSW, started working with Michigan’s most vulnerable children and families when she was 16 years old. She is now CEO of Wolverine Human Services and President of the Association of Accredited Child and Family Agencies (AACFA). She actively works with policymakers in Lansing to advocate for the needs of youth and families in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.