2024 might seem like a log ways off, but look at the reality of how fast life fly's by. It's going faster and faster and with that feeling of increasing speed, the unexpected is sometimes coming along with the pace and we're all trying our level best to keep up in more ways than one. This speed too....it's coming after we were all told to slow down or stop. We've also picked up a new level of dealing with things like information overload, accessibility to ways to "feel better" and approaches that might be non traditional in their ways of things....it's pretty easy to see that while the opening idea was about how far off a date might see, it's going to be here in the blink of an eye...and with all we've got going on...what's to come from Trinity Health and Universal Health Services is long, long over due for West Michigan.
The health care providers are teaming up to build a new behavioral health hospital which will be opening in 2024. The South Ridge Behavioral Hospital will have 90 in patient beds for 60 adults and 24 geriatric patients who need the care. Located in Byron Center near the Trinity Campus the South Ridge Behavioral Hospital is centrally located in West Michigan enough to be accessible to anyone here for the kind of care needed by highly trained professionals as well as some of the kind of support that works so incredibly well with mental health well being like peer to peer and social services. Art therapy, pet therapy, outdoor activity and more all will come in to play as well at this modern and innovative facility that's going to work with evidence based elements for patient safety. A safe space where healing can begin and a new life can see it's first few steps away from the toils that kept someone from feeling so trapped.
I walked a long, long path feeling that way. I am the product of inpatient care for behavioral health. I have no shame in talking about the fact that I got myself into a place in life at one point, I would have never gotten out of had it not been for inpatient care and fairly intense post care with mental health professionals. Guess what? It's still a daily practice, it's never perfection. It's also no shame whatsoever to raise a hand and say "I need help". If only the stigma of saying "I'm lost here for a moment" wasn't so scary. Let's do a hard pause. Is it scary to admit you twisted an ankle? Is it scary to admit you threw up? What's scary about saying you need a hand with really big problems? Get over it and ask.
With the announcement of the new facility coming, Dr. Matt Biersack from Trinity Health joined us today to discuss the future of inpatient behavioral health in West Michigan. I take a few liberties with my back story so the Dr. can get an idea of where I am coming from and toward, the end, some sincerely great advice for everyone about the first steps that can be taken to seek help if you need it in a world of ever increasing pressure and ways to work against your mental wellbeing. It just takes one ask, I need help. Take a listen.
If I had one gift to give, it would be simple. I would free peoples minds of what bothers them. The history of me in the working world sprouts from a job that I had that was so not for me, that the radio made the job worse nightly. It literally made work insufferable and I knew ever single day of my time in broadcasting that someone out there was doing what they had to as opposed to what they wanted to for a living and it was up to me to be their break. I have been thinking about the wellbeing of minds for a while, even when I didn't know enough to take care of my own. The crusade continues and with Trinity Health and Universal Health Services coming together to really bring about solutions for those who need the help...hand me a shovel....let's see how quick 2024 can get here....freeing the minds of so many, so they can see who they really are and what a gift life really is....that's the story here, and it just began to be written today! Stay tuned.
