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Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Opens First Crisis Welcoming Center in Traverse City

Northern lakes community mental health has been helping people in Leelanau County down to Roscommon County.

Now they have a new center in Traverse City that’s a bit of a twist on their typical services.

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health says they’ve seen the number of people seeking mental services triple over the last two years.

“With the pandemic, there’s just been an overwhelming need, a lot of anxiety, a lot of life stressors right now,” said Amanda Adams at Crisis Welcoming Center. “That can get overwhelming and can tank your daily functioning.”

In response, they’ve created their first with peer support and clinicians.

“Some people don’t necessarily need to go in-patient. They just need a space outside their environment to just chill, ” Adams said.

“People who come in they can sit down, they can rest. They can sleep, they can we can give them something to eat and drink. We’ve also got a few games, fidget toys, coloring stuff, adult Coloring books, and puzzles,” said Pamela Blue, Operations Manager for Crisis Services and Justice Diversion at Northern Lakes Community Mental Health.

The center’s goal is to be another option in the community besides going to the emergency room or jail when in a mental health crisis.

“If the police officers feel that it’s a mental health issue and not necessarily something like trespassing or something that they would want to pursue, but they may want to get help. They can bring them here,” explained Blue.

The welcoming crisis center is open every day from noon to midnight, and they help people of all ages.

They hope to have enough staff to be open 24 hours by September and eventually have a residential crisis center.

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