A perfect storm fueled by understaffing and aging hospital buildings has forced the state of Michigan to temporarily close more than 70 long-term psychiatric beds at three of its behavioral facilities.
The bed closures, which began earlier this year, follow a series of high-profile violent incidents involving men and women who struggled to find treatment for their mental illnesses.
“I did not want to make this decision,” Dr. George Mellos, the senior deputy state hospital administrator. “There was no choice. It was about keeping staff and patients safe.”
Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital has taken 50 beds offline, while Walter Reuther Hospital in Westland has temporarily closed 20. Both hospitals treat adults and have been plagued by severe shortages of nurses and direct care workers.
“These would be the most severe cases of mental illness,” said Kevin Fischer, Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“This is the schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder. The really serious mental illnesses that require that level of treatment,” he said.
Hawthorn Center in Northville, the state’s only psychiatric hospital for children, recently saw its budget increase from 55 beds to 79-the highest level in decades-as Governor Whitmer responded to a high demand for beds.
But as of Tuesday, just 42 patients were being treated there while the hospital remains under renovations to expand. Even if the 79 beds were open, hospital officials say, Hawthorn wouldn’t have enough employees to staff them.