For some Michiganders seeking mental health assistance, the road to accessing care can be long, winding, and, sometimes, with service gaps along the route. Recognizing this, experts across the state are finding ways to make things easier.
Traditionally, the pathway for accessing psychiatric hospitals involves going through emergency departments and community mental health (CMH) agency approval processes first. After a patient is identified as being in crisis — whether they voluntarily admitted themselves or called 911 were brought in by law enforcement or ambulance — they would most likely end up in a hospital emergency department and wait for CMH assessment before admission to inpatient care.
In Battle Creek, Summit Pointe’s First Step Psychiatric Urgent Care Center provides immediate access to mental health services. James Owens, Sumit Pointe’s director of access and crisis services, and Lakeyta Patterson, director of clinical quality, are proud of the 24/7 urgent care model launched in 2020.
“The 24-hour urgent care model was developed to meet the customers in our community’s needs,” Patterson says. “One of the initiatives was around reducing the frequency of emergency room visits as well as addressing our justice system, recidivism, and having a location where people could walk in seven days a week, 24 hours a day.”
First Step’s customers range from those with mild diagnoses such as depression and anxiety to more acute psychosis as well as individuals with substance use disorders and court-ordered admission. First Step works closely with the probate court as the triage location that determines if a person requires treatment due to a mental health crisis…