GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — West Michigan will now have a urgent care center for people who are dealing with mental health issues.
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services will open the area's first psychiatric urgent care center Tuesday at 300 68th St. SE in Grand Rapids.
Pine Rest Vice President Bob Nykamp said the facility has been in development since 2014.
The center will provide services to people ages 18-65 dealing with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts or other mental health issues.
"We’ve worked with a lot of community partners … to identify a gap in service where people could not get immediate psychiatric assessment in our community," Nykamp said.
The organization says this is a critical addition to the community as the entire state has seen a growing demand for behavioral health services.
“The goal of this program really is to eliminate behavioral health patients going to emergency departments to seek this care, which has been the only option prior to this," Nykamp said. "If you had a psychiatric emergency, you would be sent to the, or brought, to the emergency departments in West Michigan.
"That sometimes is not the best location for that to occur, it’s a high-stimulus area, when maybe you don’t need high-stimulus, they usually don’t staff with a large group of psychiatric service providers.”
Nykamp said this phase of the program is designed to meet the needs of adults, and the organization is hoping to eventually open up to children as well.
Most insurance plans will cover the services offered. You can make an appointment or walk in, but it is best to call ahead.
The urgent care facility will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
