State health department creates 100 new placements for kids in juvenile justice system

The state health department has worked to create about 100 new placements for kids in the juvenile justice system since March, according to the agency.

The latest addition is with Rite of Passage in Macomb County, which will be able to host 20 juveniles in a secure treatment facility beginning this week, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

There's been a desperate need for secure treatment facilities, especially in Wayne County, where the Juvenile Detention Facility has been overcrowded due to youth with adjudicated cases not having anywhere to go because of a lack of beds. MDHHS started searching for additional beds in March when the crisis at the JDF reached its breaking point and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans declared a state of emergency.

These additional placements and bills approved by the House and Senate this month will help address the need for more youth treatment options, MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a statement.

"MDHHS recognizes the need for reform so that juvenile justice youth can receive the treatment they need to realize their dreams," Hertel said in a statement. "We have made great progress in providing additional placement options and will continue to work with the Legislature, counties and judges around the state, and advocates for youth to make Michigan's juvenile justice system a national model for success."

Rite of Passage will lease available space at the Macomb County juvenile justice center to make the St. Clair Youth Treatment Center program, which can host boys ages 13 to 20 with a history of delinquent behavior who need treatment for mental health, substance abuse disorder or behavioral issues, according to the press release.

"We look forward to our partnership with MDHHS and Macomb County," said Dr. Ray Moss, program director for the St. Clair Youth Treatment Center. "In collaboration, we are taking an important step to expand the continuum of care options for Michigan youth in need of evidence-based treatment services."

MDHHS has also secured 12 placements for kids at Highfields in Ingham County, three at Holy Cross Children's Services' new location in Saginaw, two at Bethany Christian Services of Grand Rapids, 40 at Spectrum Human Services in Highland Park and 20 at the Team Wellness Center at Eastern Market in Wayne County. The Team Wellness Center operates a day treatment program for juveniles.

The new legislation increases the state reimbursement rate to 75% for counties that prioritize community-based services over detention, which allows kids to remain in their homes while the detention beds and residential centers are saved for the kids who need them the most, said Suzanna Shkreli, MDHHS director of juvenile justice reform.

"The bills guarantee that all youth in our state benefit from evidence-based and data-driven practices," Shkreli said. "Michigan's youth should be treated with the same principles and given the same opportunities for support within their own communities, whether they are from down river, Up North, or central Michigan."

The St. Clair Youth Treatment Center and the legislation are part of a wider reform effort stemming from the creation of the MDHHS Juvenile Justice Reform Division this year and the Task Force on Juvenile Justice in 2021, according to the release.

Since May, the reform team has hosted several discussions with counties and reform leaders to discuss programming, bed availability, use of Medicaid funds for placing youth out of state and challenges in transporting juvenile justice youth who are leaving detention facilities, according to the press release.

kberg@detroitnews.com