Community concerned about gap in mental health services

May 19—TRAVERSE CITY — A shockwave went through Grand Traverse County two weeks ago when county commissioners voted to end a relationship with the Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority.

Clients worry about a disruption in services and employees worry about their jobs and their clients.

Justin Reed, of Traverse City, is a recipient of services and also sits on the Northern Lakes Board of Directors. He spoke out during public comment at Wednesday's county board meeting.

"My quality of life has improved because I went from homelessness to a place to live," Reed said. "I'm just aghast at all this."

The plan to leave the authority was prompted by what commissioners have said is a lack of responsiveness to the needs of the county, that not enough people are able to access services.

"We're not talking about stopping services, we're talking about reorganization," said Toni Stanfield, whose son, now deceased, had mental illness. Stanfield, co-founder of Before During & After Incarceration, supports the separation.

"Our county has grown too big," she said. "Other counties may have different needs than we do."

The move would effectively dissolve the six-county authority, according to its enabling agreement. Grand Traverse plans to form its own authority to continue services.

The first step for GTC is to send the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services a notice of intent to dissolve the agreement. When the county gets acknowledgement that the MDHHS has received the notice, a 365-day clock starts for the county to form its own authority.

The Mental Health Code says there can be no interruption of services during the transition.

That notice has not been sent and won't be until an attorney and a consultant the county will hire have weighed in on the process. The notice will also come back to the board for approval before being sent out.

Several commissioners cleared up the idea circulating through the community that the clock has already started.

"This board made a huge decision two weeks ago to look into this," said Commissioner Darryl V. Nelson. "The one-year starting gun wasn't fired at that point."

Nelson said the transition will be a long process in which good, careful decisions need to be made.

Several Northern Lakes clients and employees spoke during public comment, including interim CEO Joanie Blamer.

"It is my hope that this county commission will reconsider its motion from the last meeting, that you'll work with Northern Lakes to repair the relationship," Blamer said. "We are committed to working with you."

Blamer pushed back against some of the claims made by the county board at its May 4 meeting. Those claims include a lack of services in the county jail, not having a mobile crisis unit in place, a decades-long lack of responsiveness and the lack of a community crisis or diversion center.

Northern Lakes provides crisis services at the jail and made 1,600 service contacts in 2021, Blamer said. A contract to provide other mental health services was not renewed in late 2020 after a study said the program wasn't reaching enough inmates.

Blamer said Northern Lakes has mobile crisis units for children and adults, though the adult service is not used nearly as often as the service for children. She said many people may not know it exists and the agency needs to do a better job of letting people know it's there.

The agency is also pursuing grant and appropriation funds to establish a crisis intervention center. As for unresponsiveness, Blamer said she cannot speak to former leaders.

Lauri Fischer, CFO for Northern Lakes, said on average 37 percent of Medicaid funding received by the agency goes to residents of Grand Traverse County and 41 percent of services are to GTC residents. An annual shortfall of $2.1 million in Grand Traverse means those services are subsidized by the other counties.

In addition, 47 percent of Northern Lakes' crisis services are delivered to county residents, Fischer said.

County Board Chair Rob Hentschel pointed out that the motion from May 4 included the phrase to "maintain and enhance services."

"The county board that at times fights like cats and dogs about some issues, on this one we are completely unified ..." Hentschel said.

Hentschel said as the parent of an adult son with autism who is intellectually disabled, he knows the fear and uncertainty a parent has about where that child is going to be in the future and who will take care of him. He said he takes issue with an email sent out by Blamer that said the board's decision will affect all CMH services provided, including to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

"That's fear-mongering," Hentschel said. "That's uncalled for."

Blamer said it wasn't fear-mongering, but being transparent with her employees. She said she would be willing to work with the administration and the board to help with the transition.

The six-county Northern Lakes formed about 20 years ago and includes Crawford, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Missaukee, Roscommon and Wexford counties. Before that Grand Traverse and Leelanau were served by the same authority, while the other four counties were served together in the North Central CMH.

Some Leelanau County commissioners have said they are dissatisfied with services and are open to talking about going back to that two-county arrangement. County Administrator Nate Alger has been in contact with Leelanau Administrator Chet Janik and the two have a meeting set for this week.

Alger will lead the transition and is in the process of assembling a team. He said Munson Healthcare president and CEO Ed Ness has dedicated a member of his administrative staff to work with the county.

A letter from Ness said he is concerned that dissolving the relationship with Northern Lakes without a plan in place to ensure stability and continuation of care will strain local resources, including the Munson emergency department.

A transition plan should be in place before any final decisions are made, Ness wrote.

Commissioner Betsy Coffia said she is concerned with staffing as there is a shortage of mental health workers in the region and across the country paired with a spike in needs. She wants the transition to consider that in its plan.

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