New mental health crisis center offers stress-free treatment environment — and house calls, too

A new facility that will provide a range of mental health services in Traverse City has begun a rollout of its programs, starting with an urgent care center available to people experiencing mental health crises.

In a phased opening that began in January, the Grand Traverse Mental Health Crisis and Access Center will continue to add staffing and expand hours and services through the fall, culminating with a six-bed pediatric center.

The Center’s opening is timely.

“Evidence suggests an increase in mental health problems like Seasonal Affective Disorder, post-holiday stress, and pressure about the new year that can be very prominent this time of year,” says Michael Corby, the center’s behavioral health director.

What’s happening: The Grand Traverse Mental Health Crisis and Access Center provides outpatient and residential mental health crisis services to patients of any age, regardless of ability to pay. The new center at the Munson Medical Center campus began a phased opening in January. The Center offers behavioral health assessments, face-to-face crisis intervention, psychiatric pre-admission screening, peer support services, referral to community services and outpatient therapy and a crisis phone screening line at 1-833-295-0616.

Munson HealthcareThe new center is located on the campus of Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.“This is an exciting first step in a year-long journey to expand access to much-needed mental health services for our community,” said Terri Lacroix-Kelty, Munson Healthcare executive director of behavioral health. 

How is the center staffed and funded: The new center is the result of collaboration between community mental health partners, nonprofit organizations, and a community advisory group. Collaborating on the project —  Munson Healthcare, Northern Community Mental Health Authority, Grand Traverse County, United Way of Northern Michigan and Northwest Michigan Behavioral Health Initiative. Master’s and bachelor’s level mental health professionals will work under a shared staffing model between Munson Healthcare and Northern Michigan Community Mental Health Authority. 

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority will operate the center in this initial phase, as well as provide mobile services to bring mental health help directly to patients in crisis, Corby says. “Basically, when people call in and they're in crisis, Northern Lakes can provide crisis clinicians that can respond to those situations,” Corby says. “That could be at somebody's house, or it could be alongside law enforcement or somewhere else in the community.”

During this initial phase, the crisis center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. 

Funding: Funding for the project has been made possible through a $5 million American Rescue Act Funding allocation from Grand Traverse County and an additional $5 million grant from the Michigan Hospital Association (MHA) designated exclusively toward pediatric programming and services. 

Munson HealthcareThe relaxed setting and the availability of mental health “house calls" are unique alternatives for treatment of mental health crises.Why it matters: Psychiatric urgent care is an intermediate level of care between community-based services and acute care services, such as an emergency department or inpatient hospital care. Access to psychiatric urgent care can often prevent situations from escalating, and provide access to psychiatric assessment, psychiatric care and medication management to help a person stabilize symptoms.

The living room model of mental health care to be implemented at the new center provides a safe, home-like place to go for help that isn't a hospital emergency department.  Although the model won’t be considered fully implemented until services are available around the clock, Corby says, the living room- style setting is currently in use. Both the relaxed setting, and the availability of mental health “house calls,” are unique new alternatives options for treatment of mental health crises.

What’s next: The next programming phase, scheduled to begin July 1, will expand the center’s availability to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That phase will be followed later in the summer with the addition of a nine-bed adult crisis residential unit operated by Northern Lakes. In the fall, the final phase will add a six-bed pediatric crisis residential unit operated by Munson Healthcare. The timing of the final two phases will be dependent on the licensing process.

For information visit gtmentalhealth.org or call 231-213-1050.

Rosemary Parker has worked as a writer and editor for more than 40 years. She is a regular contributor to Rural Innovation Exchange and other Issue Media Group publications.