The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network Wednesday announced a $227 million plan to expand mental health care in Metro Detroit.
The plan is supported by the City of Detroit and Wayne County. By adding hundreds of new beds and building crisis centers, specialized housing and multi-family housing, it seeks to alleviate the heavy burden experienced by hospitals and the shortage of psychiatric beds in the state.
The plan also hopes to keep people in need out of the criminal justice system by expanding mental health resources in Metro Detroit. This includes building partnerships with law enforcement agencies and crisis intervention training.
DWIHN President and CEO Eric Doeh called the plan “monumental” and “essential.”
“It’s a tremendous demand, but a tremendous need,” Doeh said at a press conference Wednesday.
“It is important to create more opportunities for the most vulnerable people in our region by including a step-down approach to long-term care, expanding residential services and the ability to provide behavioral health interventions to families. Yes, the time to act is now.”
Behind him is DWHIN’s old administrative building in Milwaukee, which the organization is now converting into a clinical hub and adding 39 beds for people in crisis.
DWIHN said its plan, if funded, would address gaps in mental and behavioral health services and increase short- and long-term impatient housing capacity by providing 450 beds to Crisis Care and Detroit It says it will provide facilities for people with mental or behavioral disorders in metropolitan areas. health needs.
These facilities are currently under development, according to the DWIHN.
The DWIHN said 60 beds will be sent to Detroit’s new crisis management center. The 160-bed Metro sent him to an inpatient psychiatric care facility in Detroit. 120 beds will be sent to specialized housing. 110 beds will be used for general housing.
“We can’t let this opportunity pass,” said Wayne County Administrator Warren Evans. “These individuals don’t need prisons, they need resources, trained professionals and a safe place to get treatment.”
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan cites instances of police killing Detroit citizens suffering from mental illness, such as Porter Burks in October 2023 and Kia Asia Miller the following month, as well as by people suffering from mental illness like Lauren Coates. He alluded to the example of a police officer being murdered.
According to the DWIHN, people with severe mental health problems are put on a waiting list for inpatient treatment. Law enforcement often engages untreated individuals first, resulting in these individuals being sent to prison or medical emergency, DWIHN said.
“Frankly, I’m sick of the speeches elected officials give after tragedy. I don’t need your speech after tragedy. If you’re committed to mental health services, budget I’m in Lansing now,” Duggan said.
The DWIHN says the Detroit Metro’s current mental health care is akin to a “revolving door” within the emergency and criminal justice system due to lack of resources. In Detroit alone, the city identified 1,481 people “in this vicious cycle and repeatedly interacting with these systems.”
Between 2020 and 2022, that population was responsible for more than half of the 21,000 mental health calls for services in Detroit.
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be reached at her 313-264-0442.[email protected] or on twitter @andreamsahouri.
