LANSING — Mental healthcare advocates say that Northern Michigan is in desperate need of expanded psychiatric care, especially among adolescents.
The state says that the region is in need of 97 adult beds, dozens away from the 60 beds currently available.
Kate Dahlstrom, president of Grand Traverse’s National Alliance on Mental Illness, says that the shortage is a bottleneck for the area’s psychiatric care system.
“The big roadblock is there’s nowhere to send them to — there are not any beds,” she said.
Dahlstrom says that psychiatric needs in Northern Michigan can put a strain on law enforcement and medical systems.
“They have to take away — take their deputies away from doing law enforcement to oftentimes, transporting individuals all the way downstate, when they do get a bed — if they’re lucky enough to get a bed downstate,” she said.
The issue has received renewed attention after last weekend’s mass stabbing at a Grand Traverse County Walmart.
Just days before, advocates were warning state lawmakers that a lack of access to mental healthcare leaves individuals and communities worse off.
“Northern Michigan is resilient, but we are at a breaking point, and providing psychiatric care is not just a health issue — it’s about human dignity, safety and strengthening our communities,” said Sarah Lee Sullivan, a board member of Traverse City Addiction Treatment Services, just four days before the attack.
Sullivan said that without adequate inpatient care options, “individuals are more likely to experience worsening mental illness, homelessness and possible contact with the criminal justice system.”
That lack of access to care is even more severe for kids and teens.
Not a single location — from Manistee to the Mackinac Bridge — offers inpatient psychiatric treatment for adolescents.
A July report from MDHHS said that Region 7, which includes much of the Northwest Lower Peninsula, is in need of 15 beds for youths.
The nearest facilities are in Grand Rapids and Saginaw.
“This is a massive failure to Northern Michigan youth, and it results in families traveling hundreds of miles for adequate care, causing emotional and financial strain,” Sullivan said.
Dahlstrom says that she’s pushing for a new Northern Michigan mental health campus near Kalkaska that would offer at least 20 new beds for adults and 8-10 for adolescents.
Under current plans, which also include 10-12 beds for juveniles with more mild offenses, Dahlstrom estimates the project would cost around $24 million, an investment she says would benefit families throughout the region.
“The sooner you catch these disorders and treat them, the better. And there is — recovery is possible,” she said.
Those in need of support can also contact 988, the national Lifeline service.
Resources are also available in the Traverse City area following the attack.