Valencia Lyle

Valencia Lyle is a health policy professional committed to expanding access to community-informed behavioral healthcare. She serves as the Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives at the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office, where she leads the planning and allocation of opioid settlement funds to strengthen overdose prevention and response services and improve connections to care. She also provides functional oversight for the Mental Health Co-Response Program, supporting coordinated responses to behavioral health crises by law enforcement and behavioral health specialists. Her work strengthens collaboration among mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers, community organizations, law enforcement, public health departments, and hospitals across city, county, and state systems. She is committed to improving access to behavioral health services that meet individuals’ needs through collaboration, research, and evidence-based policy.

The City of Detroit is home to nearly 650,000 residents and for the past three years has been one of the fastest growing communities in Michigan. It is home to vibrant neighborhoods, a nationally recognized riverwalk and incredible cultural assets. In addition to providing essential services including infrastructure, police, fire, transportation and more, the City of Detroit is deeply invested in the wellbeing of its residents to help them rise higher through a growing network of supportive services. That includes innovative behavioral health programs designed to address the diverse needs of its residents by providing timely crisis response, community outreach and connection to comprehensive treatment and wraparound services that promote long term stability and continuity of care.