State Rep. Curtis VanderWall (R-MI-102) said Michigan needs more psychiatric beds, especially in rural areas.
His comments come after Great Lakes Wire reported that Michigan ranked 46th among 50 states plus the District of Columbia for the number of psychiatric beds per 100,000 people.
“We are absolutely facing a crisis when it comes to mental health care—especially student mental health care,” VanderWall told West Central Michigan News. “Rural areas often face the brunt of the mental health crisis due to limited access to traditional health care and mental health care.”
“We need to allow medical centers and hospitals that want to increase access to mental health care to be able to do so without getting in the way through burdensome regulations such as Certificate of Need Approval,” said VanderWall. “We also need to look at funding and approving another juvenile justice facility that would cover Northern Michigan and be able to provide critical mental health care beds to our students.”
A report released by the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC) found that, “in 2023, Michigan had 5 psychiatric beds per 100,000 population,” placing the state among the lowest in the nation for inpatient mental health care capacity.
That number is well below the 40 to 60 beds per 100,000 that TAC said is the “recommended minimum” for states. The TAC report said psychiatric bed availability has been consistently declining since the 1950s.
“In 1955, the country had 340 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. By 2016, that number had fallen to 11.7 per 100,000, leaving many individuals with severe mental illness without adequate inpatient care options,” said the report.
Founded in 1998, the TAC is a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va., that focuses on mental health policy and research related to serious mental illness.
A report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan found that Michigan has a total of 3,195 inpatient psychiatric beds, including those in state psychiatric hospitals and community hospitals. However, the state’s bed-to-population ratio remains inadequate to meet service needs.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also reported that between 2018 and 2020, Michigan had a total psychiatric bed-to-population ratio of 33.0 per 100,000 when including both state and private facilities. Even with this broader measure, the state still falls short of the minimum recommended capacity, emphasizing the need for increased psychiatric bed availability.
The psychiatric bed shortage has far-reaching consequences, leading to overcrowded emergency rooms, long wait times for inpatient care, and increased burdens on law enforcement and social services.
VanderWall said he would tell Michigan families struggling to find psychiatric care to “keep trying as beds will open up.”
“We need more of them and need them in rural areas, but they are out there,” he said. “In the meantime make sure you seek outpatient care and use the available resources to get connected.”
VanderWall previously served in the Michigan Senate from 2019 to 2022, representing the 35th District. Before that, he served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2017 to 2018. He has also worked in the private sector as the owner of Turf Care Mole Control. VanderWall has been involved in various local organizations, including the Mason County Board of Commissioners, where he served as chair.
Where does Michigan rank in psychiatric beds per 100,000 people?
