Northern Michigan advocates testified before a state House subcommittee about the urgent shortage of psychiatric beds in the region. According to a 2024 study by the Treatment Advocacy Center, any community requires 30 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people to maintain community health, but Michigan has only 19.4 beds per 100,000 people.
Sara Bush from the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office described the practical consequences of the shortage. “The bed placement is really where we’re struggling. Currently right now, I have two people who are in Munson with two officers who are sitting with them for the last week because we can’t find a bed placement,” Bush testified. The shortage has forced the sheriff’s office to assign officers to sit with individuals awaiting placement, resulting in more than 197 hours of overtime pay since January.
In response to the crisis, Munson’s Mental Health Crisis and Access Center in Grand Traverse County will begin offering 24-hour care beginning July 7, aiming to improve access to emergency mental health services in the region.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/northern-michigan-advocates-urge-state-for-more-psych-beds-amid-mental-health-crisis