By DANIEL SCHOENHERR
LANSING – Last year, Robin Spindlow, who runs a support group in the Upper Peninsula, received a distressing call from someone threatening to end their life.
When the individual declined help, Spindlow contacted local law enforcement for emergency support. Two officers from the Luce County Sheriff’s Department took the person to a hospital, where they remained under protective watch for 12 hours before being transferred to a psychiatric facility about an hour away.
Spindlow felt this response was relatively quick. However, many clients at her mental health clinic, Tahqua Journey Drop-in Center, have faced much longer waits—up to three days—for a transport. Sheriff Eric Gravelle noted that these situations often require officers to sedate patients, complicating the transit process.
Rural Michigan faces a significant shortage of psychiatric beds, putting pressure on local law enforcement. Some sheriffs indicated that the nearest available psychiatric beds could be 8 to 15 hours away, either across the state line in Wisconsin or further south.
Spindlow pointed out that this issue not only affects law enforcement but also severely impacts the mental health of individuals in the community. “It’s quite scary and isolating to wait in a hospital,” she explained.
For more than ten years, lawmakers have been trying to address the mental health care shortages, including transportation challenges. When someone reports a mental health crisis, a probate judge can issue a pickup order. Officers must then escort the individual to an emergency room and remain until a medical evaluation is done.
This process can take hours, tying up valuable resources, especially in rural areas where there might only be a few deputies on duty at any given time. Senator Ed McBroom recently passed a law allowing private security companies to handle some aspects of mental health transport, creating a dedicated fund for this purpose. However, state records indicate that no funds have been deposited into this account yet.
Local sheriffs expressed frustration with the lack of available transport services. Alger County Sheriff Todd Brock mentioned that these transport orders can leave his department short-staffed for hours. Gogebic County Sheriff Jorje Cruz also highlighted the burden, noting they respond to several pickup orders monthly, particularly during the winter.
To tackle these issues, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association is collaborating with the Health & Human Services Department to create better transport solutions that do not rely solely on police. Lauren LaPine, a senior director at the association, argued that patients should not have to endure police transport for mental health needs.
At the grassroots level, Spindlow is actively working to provide vital support options to prevent crises. Her center offers rides to clients who lack transportation, ensuring they can access mental health services when needed. She emphasizes the importance of removing the fear of stigma, which prevents many individuals from seeking help before reaching a critical state.
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