GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mental health care is often needed immediately rather than waiting weeks for an appointment. To help, Cherry Health in Grand Rapids now offers walk-in hours at their Heart of the City Health Center.
“People show up, they hit any of our front desks and say I’m looking for help,” said Cherry Health Chief Behavioral Health Officer Bob Smith.
Cherry Health says it is just that easy to get help for any mental issue.
Cherry Health Clinical Manager Jasmine Stephens said, “To say, 'Hey, come on in. Let's sit down. What's going on with you? Whatever stressor, whatever anxiety, depression, whatever happened to you, you have a safe space.'”
Behavioral health services have been a part of Cherry Health for years.
“One of the things that we found, especially during the pandemic, is that there was a rather long wait list for people to get in, both in our services and in our system, as well as systems across the community,” said Smith.
He says he realized that to do the best for the community, they needed to get rid of appointment wait times that stretched weeks into the future.
“I think for a lot of people, when they get to that point, there's a level of crisis involved with seeking out that help, and for the service providers we need to be there when they're ready for it,” said Smith.
Last year, Kent County did a community needs assessment and found that 27% of respondents were currently receiving mental health treatment. The study also found that almost half of the respondents said mental health had been a problem for them or a family member in the past year.
Smith said, “So, access is really just a first point of first kind of stop where we work hard to assess, understand, identify those needs and get people plugged into a care team that can pick that up and run.”
Cherry Health says they are already seeing the benefits and importance of early intervention.
Stephens said, “So to just be able to put hands on someone, to say, 'Hey, right now, how can we help you?' and to let people know that we care, and we want to show up for you... I think we're absolutely seeing it change people's lives right in front of us.”
If you think you need help, Cherry Health will not turn anyone away because of your ability to pay. The walk-in Behavioral Health Services are available Monday through Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
