MDHHS Director Hertel and State Budget Director Flood tour new state psychiatric hospital, discuss importance of continued investments in behavioral health for Michigan families

Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital slated to open this fall  
to expand care for adults and youth, increase patient capacity by 54 beds

LANSING, Mich. – Yesterday, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel and State Budget Director Jen Flood toured the soon to be completed Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital, a key component of the state’s commitment to expanding behavioral health care services for Michigan families. During the tour, they discussed the importance of the state’s continued investments in behavioral health care to ensure Michigan residents can access the care they need.

Slated to begin accepting patients this fall, the new hospital will feature 264 beds for adults and youth, increasing the state’s capacity by 54 beds. The facility is being made possible due to $383.4 million in budget investments by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the legislature. 

“We are excited to be able to provide a new state-of-the-art hospital in southeastern Michigan for Michigan families in need of inpatient, behavioral health care ,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “The increased capacity of this modern facility expands access to quality, compassionate care for more children and adults. It is part of our continued efforts to ensure access to behavioral health care for Michigan families when they need it, where they need it and at the level of care they need.” 

Governor Whitmer’s recently released FY 2027 budget proposal includes $80.1 million to begin operating the new hospital and to hire and train additional staff needed to care for the increased patient census. 

“Building and opening the new state psychiatric hospital is all about serving Michiganders who need access to care,” said State Budget Director Jen Flood. “Expanding access to treatment and adding more beds is a priority, because too many families struggle to find the care that they and their loved ones need. By creating more space for people to get care when they need it, we’re strengthening our health system, supporting families, and building safer, healthier communities across Michigan.” 

While the new psychiatric complex will serve all ages, the hospital features distinct facilities with separate living and programmatic spaces for children and adults. The more than 410,000-square-foot facility will feature amenities including a gymnasium, art rooms and sensory spaces to support holistic care. The complex will include shared administration and food service, which allows for budget savings.  

The build is being overseen by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). The construction manager for the project is Christman Company­, with design services provided by Integrated Design Solutions LLC.  

“The DTMB team has been hard at work ensuring that this new facility meets the needs of patients, providers and the Northville community, and I’m so proud of the work we’ve done to keep the project on time,” said Kyle Guerrant, DTMB acting director. “It’s an honor to help bring to life a state-of-the-art, secure, and safe facility that will provide high-quality care to Michiganders.” 

It will replace Hawthorn Center, which opened in 1965 and was demolished to make way for the new hospital, and Walter Reuther Psychiatric Hospital, which opened in 1979, and is slated to close after the new facility opens. 

The State of Michigan currently operates four inpatient hospitals that serve nearly 600 patients. Caro Psychiatric Hospital and Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital serve adult patients and Walter Reuther Psychiatric Hospital serves both adults and youth in separate areas of the facility. The Center for Forensic Psychiatry provides diagnostic services to the criminal justice system and psychiatric treatment for criminal defendants adjudicated incompetent to stand trial or acquitted by not guilty by reason of insanity. 

Michigan's state hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission and are committed to providing evidence-supported, person-centered inpatient care to individuals in an environment that values compassion, collaboration and community reintegration. 

Directors visit MDHHS Greydale office to discuss SNAP payment rate 

Later that day, Hertel and Flood also met with employees from the MDHHS Greydale office in Redford to learn firsthand about the challenges created by the passage of H.R. 1 by Congress, which cut federal funding and shifted significant costs to the states. 

They discussed MDHHS’s efforts to reduce Michigan’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment error rate. The SNAP payment error rate measures the accuracy of each state’s eligibility and benefit determinations for participating households who receive food assistance.  

“MDHHS has implemented several new internal processes to ensure the timeliness and accuracy of the information we need to receive from eligible SNAP beneficiaries,” said Hertel. “As that work continues over the coming months, it is important to me to hear directly from our staff doing this work at the local offices to clearly understand how we can continue to refine our processes and improve outcomes.” 

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