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Hi there,
As the temperature starts to warm up, I hope you are able to get outdoors and enjoy all our Oakland County Parks has to offer, including the adaptive recreation programming! Accessible parks and adaptive recreation programs ensure residents of all ages and abilities can reap the physical and mental health benefits of parks. Check out the Oakland County blog for more details on these special programs and events for 2026!
While enjoying the outdoors is fun, I want to offer a few seasonal reminders to stay healthy as we enjoy the warmer weather.
- Avoid contact with wild or stray animals, even if they appear friendly. We recently had a skunk test positive for rabies after biting a resident.
- If a person or a pet is exposed to any wild or unknown animal, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water, then seek medical or veterinary attention immediately.
- Keep pet vaccinations up to date. This will protect them if exposed to animals with rabies and prevent them from becoming ill and infecting humans.
- Higher temperatures often lead to an increase in mosquitoes. Remove standing water from around your house, wear mosquito repellent, and maintain window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out of buildings.
- Protect yourself and your family from measles, especially as travel picks up during spring and summer. There have been confirmed cases in surrounding counties, and it can be prevented. If you do not have evidence of measles immunity, get the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine as soon as possible. Two doses offer 97% protection against measles. Walk into one of our clinics in Pontiac or Southfield to get your MMR vaccine today!
Lastly, save the date for our third annual Health and Housing Summer Fest on Thursday, July 30 at Normandy Oaks Park in Royal Oak. Enjoy fun activities for kids and connect with free health and housing resources! It is free and open to the public. RSVP here.
In peace and wellness,
Kate Guzmán, Health Officer, Oakland County Health Division
Oakland 360 Care Center offers mental health support
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. 1 in 5 people experience a mental health condition each year. Mental health is deeply personal, and what works for one person may not work for another. It is important to explore which practices, treatments, or strategies best fit your unique needs and circumstances.
The Oakland 360 Care Center (48980 Woodward Ave, Pontiac) offers whole-person, same-day care — no appointment needed! Come in for help with behavioral, social or physical health concerns. Walk in when you need care and end your visit with a plan connecting you to ongoing support!
Behavioral Health Services include:
- Help navigating general distress (sudden increase in symptoms of anxiety or depression)
- Talk therapy to individuals in need of immediate support
- Help during a behavioral health crisis
- Coordination of care
Prevent mosquito-borne diseases
As temperatures increase so will mosquitoes and exposure to mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile Virus (WNV). Residents are encouraged to remove standing water around their homes to prevent mosquito breeding sites this spring. Eliminating standing water where mosquitoes lay eggs helps control mosquitoes that can spread disease.
Prevent mosquito breeding:
- Turn over any container that can collect water. Once a week, empty items that hold water such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, pet bowls, flowerpots and trash containers.
- Clean clogged roof gutters, especially if leaves tend to plug the drains.
- Treat standing water such as retention ponds or drainage ditches with a mosquito larvicide. It is easy to use and can be purchased at most home improvement stores.
 You can also protect yourself from mosquito bites by taking the following steps:
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellent.
- All EPA registered insect repellents are evaluated for safety and effectiveness, and will contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol as the active ingredient. Repellents containing a higher percentage of the active ingredient typically provide longer-lasting protection.
- Always follow the product label instructions.
- Be careful using repellent on the hands of children as it may irritate the eyes and mouth.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
- Limit outdoor activity from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Make sure there are no holes in window and door screens. Do not prop open doors.
Home improvement program
Oakland County Neighborhood & Housing Development provides interest-free deferred loans up to $23,000 for low to moderate income households based on Housing & Urban Development (HUD) income guidelines. The loans are available to qualified single family owner-occupied homes or owner-occupied duplexes. The landlord must live in one of the dwellings and both the owner and tenant must meet HUD income guidelines. The loans are deferred until the home changes ownership through selling or leasing the home.
Typical repairs include roof, doors, bathroom, insulation, plumbing, electrical, roofs, code violations and lead based paint abatement.
Our staff will assist you with qualifying for the program, developing specifications and monitoring the project including using our pre-qualified residential builders and lead abatement contractors and the disbursement of payments to the contractors after the project is inspected.
Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place in May and is a celebration and recognition of the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched U.S. culture, history, and achievement. May holds two key dates in U.S. history - May 7, 1843 marks the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States and May 10, 1869 recognizes the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. This railway would not have been achieved without the labor and, unfortunately, exploitation of Chinese immigrants.
This month, visit the Detroit Institute of Arts to learn and celebrate Asian-American history in Metro Detroit and Michigan through art, dance, and music. General museum admission for Oakland County residents is free. Or take a virtual trip to the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center to listen to recorded stories and watch films centered on the Asian-American experience. You can also check out a curated book list by the New York Public Library for readers of all ages!
Join our team!
There are some jobs open right now working for Oakland County Health and Human Services! Visit www.oakgov.com/jobs to learn more about these positions and to apply.
More Health Division info
Check out our webpage page for information about our services and various health topics. You can also call us at 1-800-848-5533, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Oakgov.com/health is the best place to receive the latest information. Add, update, or opt out of Health Division email or text communications by clicking here.
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