County agency opens ‘first of many’ mental crisis centers

The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network is opening a crisis center in Detroit to help those suffering from a mental health crisis.

By Charles Sercombe
For years – decades – folks having a mental health crisis usually ended up in one or two places: the emergency room, or jail.
That’s about to change in Wayne County.
Last Friday, the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its “first of many” Crisis Care Centers.
Located near the Fisher building, at 707 Milwaukee and Third, the center can house up to 32 patients.
“This is a place where they don’t have to go to jail. Don’t have to go to an emergency room,” said DWIHN President/CEO Eric Doeh, to a gathering that included Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Michigan’s U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D).
Stabenow was succinct in her praise of the center:
“It will be transformative,” she said.
Transformative not only in treatment methods, but also in decreasing the pressure on police officers — who are usually the ones called to deal with someone having a mental crisis.
It was said that, eventually, the center’s work will result in a 60 percent decrease in the number of people being taken to jail.
The center was years, and millions of dollars, in the making, and will now serve as a model for other centers that officials plan to open throughout the region.
In a press release, Doeh said:
“This marks a major milestone for community mental health in the County. This facility will meet the ongoing challenge of access and capacity of crisis care services.”
The center offers service to those who admit themselves as walk-ins, and will serve teens and adults.
(For more information about services that are being offered, call 1-800-4949.)
Posted April 19, 2024