New psychiatric hospital to replace Hawthorn Center in Northville Township

Facility needs to be reaplaced due to aging infrastructure

The Hawthorn Center in Northville Township. (Michigan.gov)

NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A new inpatient psychiatric hospital will be built on the existing Hawthorn Center in Northville Township.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Technology, Management & Budget made the announcement on Monday that a $325 million budget has been allocated for the construction project.

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The facility is to replace Hawthorn Center and the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital in Westland, which collectively served up to 200 patients with severe mental illnesses or intellectual and developmental disabilities. The two facilities are to be replaced due to aging infrastructure, according to MDHHS.

During the demolition of the current Northville facility and the construction of the new psychiatric facility, staff and patients being cared for at the Hawthorn Center will be transported to the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital in Westland.

“The new facility is a perfect example of how the state is leveraging one-time resources for long-term strategic investments,” said State Budget Director Christopher Harkins in a statement. “We are thoughtfully and deliberately building the new facility on the current Hawthorn Center site, which is a convenient location for staff and patient families, and sustains a relationship with the community of Northville, which has long been a partner to the State of Michigan. This project will provide benefits for years into the future.”

There are five inpatient hospitals throughout Michigan, including Caro Center, Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital, Walter Reuther Psychiatric Hospital, Hawthorn Center, and Center for Forensic Psychiatry. The Hawthorn Center is the only hospital that streets children and adolescents. The Center for Forensic Psychiatry has psychiatric treatment for those deemed incompetent to stand trial or acquitted by not guilty by reason of insanity.


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“We are excited to be able to provide Michigan families in need of inpatient, behavioral health care a new state-of-the-art hospital in southeastern Michigan,” said MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel. “The modern facility will allow MDHHS to continue providing quality, compassionate care to both children and adults. The consolidation of two of our current hospitals will also allow for efficiencies in administrative and support services while maintaining separate living and treatment facilities for adults and children.”


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