[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6528368,"mediaKeyId","3407072-809839cfdb639d4c48033ef37a979010","parentId",3407072,"title","Ingham County judge describes mental health court model, outcomes and limits of capacity","audioSeconds",2491,"startMs",539000,"endMs",3030000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3407072-809839cfdb639d4c48033ef37a979010&start=539&end=3030","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3407072-809839cfdb639d4c48033ef37a979010/thumbnail_539000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6528368/Michigan/Ingham-County-judge-describes-mental-health-court-model-outcomes-and-limits-of-capacity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528368-deead21a05ab00f372daac55d16f5a11/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885861&Signature=VWOQ1Vu2iecZona~6anDpNSb90-q7va4Smuo8dy2jjOUaiUJqkia2sGz1kJgY-Xa64~Ie5SeJIkL7-8wdYexqz85OcaB0c1njQXRJF0Aw2Jof8Bt4ANKgsx7IP0sShdDnj7SGR7N7-gxWZVZ0-9yw39tstefY2E2SBVtCU~EiXdhqSL2yuA4EE9DV7QRZH1oEqSoYT0zU9AzDZZ6dl1L6~dNo1usOKoQngyEI6ebcAN4P24LU2kB3q3n74hRC1bWAIrFrhLEPdOoNXV53mPqAsEf8SWsSzryeu52RnLjcwGtmkXh8h-JDG0cWmNsJ3Rwz24pqCFYOmoGSBj40O0BAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Michigan Legislature","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","LANSING, Mich. — Judge Richard L. Hillman of the 55th District Court in Ingham County told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health and Food Security on May 13 that the county’s mental health court provides a voluntary, court-supervised treatment alternative for people with serious mental illness who are charged with crimes.

Hillman described the court’s team-based model, the program’s funding, its participant limits and the population it serves, and he explained how the court coordinates with community mental health, probation, public defenders and peer-support specialists.

Why it matters: The judge’s testimony gave legislators a detailed picture of how a local specialty court operates as an alternative to incarceration for many people with serious mental illness, and how the court’s success depends on availability of community services, medication and residential supports.

Richard L. Hillman, presiding judge and mental health court judge for the 55th District Court, said the local district court mental health court was founded in 2013 and predates state legislation enacted the same year. He said the program serves both misdemeanor and felony cases under a concurrent jurisdiction plan, and covers the 55th district and neighboring counties that lack their own mental health courts.

Program structure and funding: Hillman said the Ingham County mental health court uses a staged, rehabilitation-focused probation model and has a maximum capacity of 60 participants. He testified that the court receives approximately $500,000 annually from the State Court Administrator’s Office; that funding pays four full-time staff positions including a master’s-level mental health therapist, a client services specialist, a peer-support specialist and a mental health probation officer; and that the program covers some participant costs such as medication support, substance-abuse testing, bus passes and modest incentives.

Outcomes and population: Hillman reported a program-level graduation rate of about 62 percent (as presented to the committee) and cited measures the court tracks at discharge: employment improvements (from 43 percent unemployed at admission to 24 percent at discharge, a relative employment improvement cited in testimony), medication compliance (87 percent at discharge) and participant-reported measures of improved mental health and quality of life. He cautioned the court’s aim is management and recovery rather than cure.

Scope and limits: Hillman said the court’s program is voluntary and that some people are not appropriate for participation — notably violent repeat offenders who must be incarcerated for public safety. He said when participants require residential substance-use treatment the court will suspend jail time and place individuals in residential programs; he described frequent referrals for residential treatment for people with methamphetamine and fentanyl exposure and said multiple rounds of residential care are common.

Role of peer specialists: Hillman emphasized the role of peer recovery coaches and peer-support specialists who have lived experience; he described them as valuable for accountability and for helping participants navigate benefits, transportation, housing applications and other practical needs.

Questions from legislators touched on program capacity, case mix since Hillman became presiding judge in 2020, the effect of remote appearances via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic and the court’s use of incentives. Hillman stated participation levels have been similar to pre-pandemic levels but that Zoom has made it easier for some participants to attend.

Hillman concluded by urging the committee to consider the limits of courts alone to address mental health needs and by offering to provide additional information to lawmakers.

Provenance: The judge’s testimony and participants’ written testimonials were presented at the May 13 committee hearing; committee members asked follow-up questions. No legislative action on the mental health court itself was taken at this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Oversight: Subcommittee on Public Health and Food Security - 5/20/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Judge Richard L. Hillman testified to the House Oversight Subcommittee about the Ingham County district mental health court: its voluntary, court-supervised treatment model, funding, participant capacity, services offered and limitations when participants require incarceration or inpatient care.","taxTitle","2025 House Legislature MI, Michigan","taxId",77683,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6528373,"Lawmakers hear evidence of statewide shortage of behavioral-health beds and ED boarding",4218,494000,4712000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3407072-809839cfdb639d4c48033ef37a979010&start=494&end=4712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3407072-809839cfdb639d4c48033ef37a979010/thumbnail_494000.jpg","/articles/6528373/Michigan/Lawmakers-hear-evidence-of-statewide-shortage-of-behavioral-health-beds-and-ED-boarding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528373-f1fb93397e0ae895638215c3735ffba8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885862&Signature=bwFWbt0oA4e6eWb0Y8vbuLJVsms4Jx29Yn8Q~jujBqXgGX15A2orEuGLbIA1M~zOcHINKbfEQZS2h2WkCpCHF0MbSvEJmQ-0H9LbsWa2R7IrOvOxTmw1x-sx2Di4p-lDnU8Vx6Ak4w0trOVrSnt~Kl~-KktNEvrjuu6n9apxxXZiPJSwYNptvPz7ghfZpOSWopr44p05LqueNPX7QagL8J91wl2kZi10VGWWzX84Z4qXu~~jkTrriIdhVeju6lvDhAdese6zNuYnHLBfk7i3SZZ9~SIYY8CvcEEUq83Kx2PK~zu9CEn93VHzGykQ~K3ryJjjPM1-VVagio7tkZzf5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LANSING, Mich. — Lawmakers and health officials told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health and Food Security on May 13 that Michigan is facing a shortage of inpatient behavioral-health bed capacity that is leaving patients waiting in hospital emergency departments for days or weeks.

The issue drew testimony from hospital representatives and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), who described lengthy ED waits, a burdensome preadmission screening process for Medicaid patients and persistent workforce shortages that limit how many beds can be staffed even when they exist.

Why it matters: Committee members heard that the shortage affects urgent care for people in crisis, increases strain on emergency departments and hospital staff, and forces families to seek care far from home for children and adults who need inpatient treatment.

Taylor Alpert, government relations manager for the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA), said MHA member data show “every day we know at least 155 people are waiting in emergency for bed placement.” He testified that Medicaid patients experience longer waits than commercially insured patients, and that “over 40 percent of Medicaid patients wait longer than 24 hours in an emergency department” for inpatient psychiatric placement.

Adam Carlson, senior vice president of advocacy for MHA, described the process that hospitals must follow when a Medicaid patient needs an inpatient bed: an ED clinician refers the patient to a preadmission screening unit, which may send a screener with a range of credentials to evaluate the patient. If the screening unit and hospital disagree, a peer-to-peer review can delay placement. Carlson said the result is that Medicaid patients may spend extended periods in EDs while clinicians and administrators complete administrative reviews.

Hospital officials also cited staffing limits as a cause of unavailable beds. Carlson said Michigan hospitals still report thousands of open nursing positions and more than 1,200 open physician positions that include psychiatrists, and noted that some facilities must keep beds offline because they lack staff or because higher-acuity patients require additional safety measures.

Regional disparities and children’s beds: Kate Dahlstrom of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, testifying from Northern Michigan, told the committee that Michigan’s historic inpatient capacity has declined sharply. She said the state once had roughly 22,000 psychiatric beds and now has about 600 state psychiatric beds and about 2,400 private psychiatric beds, for a total she said is “approximately 3,000 beds.” Dahlstrom said Northern Michigan’s 21 counties have no inpatient beds for children and that Grand Traverse County has 17 adult beds, and argued that local families often must travel long distances to access inpatient care.

Committee members asked state officials and witnesses whether the shortage has reached a crisis point. Representatives and witnesses described individual cases of children and adults waiting in EDs for days, and MHA witnesses said Michigan ranks near the bottom of states in per-capita state behavioral-health bed supply. MHA identified several policy levers — including statutory changes to the preadmission screening process (a bill cited in testimony: Senate Bill 316) and workforce-development initiatives — that it said could reduce delays and expand capacity.

What the committee recorded as formal business: At the start of the meeting Representative Green moved to approve minutes from a joint 10:30 a.m. May 13 meeting; hearing no objection, the motion was approved. Representative McDonald moved to approve minutes from a noon May 13 meeting; hearing no objection, the motion was approved.

The testimony did not include a department-issued inventory of current state psychiatric bed totals or a binding timetable for adding beds; witnesses recommended legislative and budgetary steps to expand capacity and to simplify placement for Medicaid patients.

Next steps: Witnesses and committee members discussed follow-up requests, including state data on total state psychiatric beds and pending bills to revise preadmission screening rules. Several legislators said they planned to seek additional information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and to review proposed legislation and budget options that could expand capacity or change screening procedures.","Testimony at the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee detailed long waits in emergency departments for inpatient psychiatric beds, a complex preadmission process for Medicaid patients, workforce shortfalls and stark regional gaps, particularly for children in Northern Michigan.","actionData","errors"]

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Ingham County judge describes mental health court model, outcomes and limits of capacity

Lawmakers hear evidence of statewide shortage of behavioral-health beds and ED boarding