MDHHS said the new complex will serve patients of all ages, with distinct facilities that provide separate living and program spaces for children and adults while sharing administration and food service. | Photo Credit: IDS
What You Need to Know
- Michigan’s Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital in Northville Township is expected to be completed in July and open to its first patients this fall, according to MDHHS.
- MDHHS said the project was about 65% complete at the start of 2026 and remains on schedule.
- The hospital is expected to consolidate staff and patients from the former Hawthorn Center (Northville) and the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital (Westland); the state plans to close Reuther once the new facility opens.
- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s FY 2027 budget proposal includes $72.2 million to begin operating the hospital, which MDHHS said will increase statewide capacity by 54 beds (32 adult, 22 pediatric).
- IDS project information describes separate secure pediatric and adult units, a LEED Gold target and geothermal heating/cooling; IDS lists the facility at 260 beds, while MDHHS cited 264 beds.
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NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Michigan’s Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital in Northville Township, the state’s newest state psychiatric hospital, is expected to be complete in July and open to patients this fall.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the 264-bed project was approximately 65% complete at the start of 2026 and is intended to replace both the former Hawthorn Center in Northville and the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital in Westland.
State officials announced plans in April 2023 to build the new psychiatric complex on the former Hawthorn Center grounds with an initial estimate of $325 million. MDHHS now puts the total design-and-construction cost at about $383.4 million.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget includes $72.2 million to begin operating the facility. MDHHS said the project will increase statewide inpatient psychiatric capacity by 54 beds, including 32 for adults and 22 for children.
MDHHS said the new complex will serve patients of all ages, with distinct facilities that provide separate living and program spaces for children and adults while sharing administration and food service.
Project information posted by Integrated Design Solutions (IDS), the project’s architect and engineer, describes a 400,000-square-foot replacement hospital with secure pediatric and adult units, shared indoor community spaces and direct access to outdoor recreation areas. IDS also says the project is targeting LEED Gold and will use a large geothermal field for heating and cooling. (Editor’s note: IDS lists the project as 260 beds and $371 million; MDHHS cited 264 beds and a $383.4 million total for design and construction.)
Hawthorn and Reuther were designated for replacement due to aging infrastructure; the state said the facilities opened in 1956 and 1979, respectively. Once the Northville hospital opens, the state plans to close Reuther, though officials said as of Feb. 26 a plan for that campus had not been finalized.
The construction update comes amid increased scrutiny of patient protections in the state’s public mental health system. A Sept. 30, 2025, audit from the Office of the Auditor General found Michigan was not doing enough to protect the rights of public mental health services recipients, citing issues with the timeliness of investigations and follow-up by the Office of Recipient Rights.
MDHHS said it recognized opportunities to improve processes and had taken steps to speed report timelines, pursue additional staffing and strengthen training. Separately, Sen. Michael Webber sought additional details from MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel on how the department will verify compliance with new procedures following its corrective action plan released Jan. 9.
“The department responded to serious findings with essentially ‘we’ll do better,’ but offered no evidence of real action,” he told MLive. “Paperwork alone does not equal results. Changes of this magnitude require leadership from Director Hertel to ensure her agency is protecting patients in the state’s care.”
No additional direct quotes were included because the IDS project page did not contain clearly attributable quotations in the material provided for this rewrite.
This article is based on reporting originally published by MLive in March 2026 and project information published by Integrated Design Solutions (IDS) on its Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital project page.