Keweenaw County says ‘No’

Votes against dissolving UP mental health system

TheKeweenaw County Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing a proposal to dissolve U.P. Community Mental Health System. Left to rights are: Board Vice Chair Del Rajala; Commissioner Mike LaMotte, Board Chair Don Piche; commissioners Bob DeMarois and Randy Eckloff

EAGLE RIVER - At its regular July meeting last week, the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution opposing State Senator Ed McBroom's (R-Wacedah Township) proposal to dissolve the Upper Peninsula Community Mental Health System.

The draft bill requires the new regional authority to secure, lease, or build physical long-term inpatient psychiatric facilities.

Commissioner Randy Eckloff led the discussion, highlighting the financial risks associated with the proposed changes. Eckloff represents Keweenaw County on the NorthCare Network Board and the Copper Country Community Mental Health Services Board.

"The counties are going to have to invest more money into having a facility," he said, "which is huge."

Eckloff said he believes McBroom is looking at things in the right way, but not looking at it from a financial standpoint.

Eckloff said the state is trying to shift massive capital liabilities onto U.P. taxpayers without providing a dedicated, long-term state funding stream to pay for the bricks, mortar or specialized staff.

The resolution that passed states the proposed legislation would require the single specialized regional entity to assume responsibility for long-term psychiatric inpatient services, including facility ownership or leasing, staffing, and operations.

Eckloff said building new facilities would not improve the mental health system in the U.P. While there is shortage of facilities in the western U.P., he said, the more challenging issue is with staffing. While there is a facility in Marquette, he said, it is experiencing staffing shortages.

"There are empty beds sitting there, so creating a new facility doesn't make a lot of sense," said Eckloff.

There is also a facility in Sault Ste. Marie, but it is frequently at capacity, he said, compelling law enforcement to transport mental health patients to facilities downstate.

NorthCare Network officials are also opposed to the proposal for a number of reasons. They argue that merging the five local CMH boards into a single entity would erode community control and completely strip away local responsiveness to distinct county-level needs. They object to the plan forcing a regional authority to take ownership and operating liabilities of long-term inpatient psychiatric facilities without guaranteed, long-term state funding.

Rather than waiting for McBroom to introduce a bill, NorthCare’s board has been working directly with the U.P. Association of County Commissioners to systematically update and distribute opposition resolution templates. Their goal is to have every county board in the region pass an official vote against the draft to kill the proposal entirely before it reaches Lansing.

"I don't think everything in the proposal is a bad idea" Eckloff said. "To me, personally, I feel we still have too many people who fall through the cracks. Right now there are major mental health concerns to the whole country right now."