LANSING — Northern Michigan lawmakers and residents are raising concerns about Michigan’s inpatient treatment options for minors.
They say that a shortage of open beds is causing children to be separated from their parents, leading to unneeded stress for families.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the state has dropped from 1200 youth inpatient beds in 2020 to just under 400 now.
Cheryl Karpinski is a mother from Kingsley who says her then 15-year old son Aiden was sent out of state after he committed two misdemeanor offenses.
Aiden was sent to a treatment in Missouri for months because of the lack of open facilities in Michigan.
Cheryl Karpinski says that the experience did more harm than good for her family and that the state needs to change course with its treatment policies.
“I would argue that when the best you can do traumatizes children, rips kids away from their families, and allows for-profit companies to make a profit off the pain of Michigan kids and their parents, something is horribly wrong,” she said before a state House committee on the subject.
Cheryl says her son was returned after she hired a lawyer in may and is now in a Michigan facility.
State Rep. John Roth, (R) District 104, Interlochen, says the lack of options causes problems for children and the staff tasked with helping them.
He says the state needs to reevaluate its policies and says lawmakers could take legislative action in response.