Traverse City Walmart stabbing underscores psychiatric care shortage in Northern Michigan
The recent Walmart stabbing incident involving Bradford Gille has highlighted a severe shortage of psychiatric care in Northern Michigan, sparking calls for urgent action to address the crisis.
Sarah Lee Sullivan, a licensed professional counselor student, emphasized the dire situation, stating, “Northern Michigan is resilient, but we are at a breaking point and providing psychiatric care is not just a health issue. It’s about human dignity, safety and strengthening our communities.”
Sullivan testified in Lansing last week, underscoring the lack of psychiatric care, particularly in-patient beds, in the region.
“In our 18 county region designated by MDHHS as Health Service Area Number 7, we averaged 10 adult psychiatric beds per 100,000 residents and that is less than half of the recommended total of 97 beds, which itself is a reduction of 120 beds that was suggested by MDHHS in 2024,” she said.
Shane Gille, brother of Bradford Gille, expressed the family’s long-standing concerns about the lack of mental health resources. “It’s put our family through hell,” he said. “You can’t throw any more flags. You can’t wave any more signals. You can’t make any more smoke signals. Like, there’s been fire here for so long.”
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@themacfan
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
I've been there. It's awful. He begged for help however he has been left without even simple supervising. Shame to American healthcare system.
@jjjjj479
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
There is no real useful context here. Is the shortage just in Northern Michigan, or all over? How much should we spend so that a sheriff deputy doesn't need to make a 10 hour drive downstate once every 6 months, (and how often would that really be, I just made up 6 months as an example–what is the real number)?
@dawnbrown5331
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
I am sorry you have not had a helpful experience with therapists. However so many have dedicated their lives to helping others
Please don't lump us all together. I wish you all the best on your journey
@shadeofmind
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
Not just beds, the whole Psychiatrics System is garbage. 90% of therapists etc. also belong in the beds, or just horribly uneducated properly.
@kitkakitteh
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
Make Asylums Great Again.
@ryandaniels8022
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
Traverse City prefers to give sanctuary… Theyve long protected their unhoused mental patients and celebrate themselves for doing so. They need the mental asylum as well obviously
@kimsteed9401
August 14, 2025 at 4:28 am
Gee. If only we had some sort of Mental Hospital that could house some of these people under care of a doctor whether long term, or short term. The ADA was a train wreck of a bill, and closing the State Hospital all the way down was a disservice to those who thrived there when I was young. They had gardens, and farm animals, and jobs, and chores that they cherished. Never seen such well groomed cows. Sure, there were people who were more locked up, but there were others who loved life there. When they were "set free" many lived in the pines or under bridges along the Boardman River. Couldn't get their benefits or health care because they didn't have an address. They came back daily and sat on the steps of the only place they knew as home. I worked at MMC and saw it play out.
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