Family Says Michigan’s Mental Health Failures Led to Tragedy

Family tragedy underscores Michigan’s lack of mental health resources and oversight

A Michigan woman is speaking out about the state’s mental health system after her brother, who struggled with severe mental illness, killed their father during a psychotic break.

Christine, who asked that her last name not be used, said her family tried for years to get mental health treatment for her younger brother, who first experienced a mental health crisis in his mid-20s. He was initially placed in treatment through a court order, which included medication management and in-home therapy.

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“He did really well when someone was making sure he took his meds and checking on him,” Christine said. But after two years, he was released from court supervision, and within months he stopped taking his prescribed medications.

Christine said the situation worsened, and by early 2010, her brother was showing signs of another severe mental break, including lack of sleep and hallucinations. Just two days before the killing, his girlfriend took him to a mental health facility asking for help, but he was released after telling staff he didn’t need treatment.

On Feb. 28, 2010, Christine found her father dead in his home. Police arrested her brother days later. He eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

Christine said she remained in contact with her brother until 2020, when she stopped after he began sending increasingly erratic emails. He remains incarcerated but continues to exhibit signs of instability, she said.

“I do feel sorry for him, but I’m also afraid of him,” Christine said. “If he had stayed in court-ordered treatment, my dad would still be alive.”

Christine also recounted her own mother’s long struggle with mental illness, which led to years in state care before being placed in an adult foster care home. She said the family’s experience highlights deep flaws in Michigan’s mental health system, which has faced staffing shortages and a lack of available psychiatric beds.

Christine pointed to a Traverse City case that recently made headlines, where a man with a known history of severe mental illness allegedly committed another violent crime. She said these cases show how many people with serious mental illness fall through the cracks.

“There aren’t enough beds, there aren’t enough providers, and too often people are released without follow-up,” Christine said.

Michigan has cut funding for mental health services in recent years, she said, leaving families desperate for help. Some parents, she added, have had to send children out of state for treatment due to bed shortages.

Christine wants lawmakers to increase mental health funding and consider “step-down programs” for violent offenders with mental illness who are released from prison.

“We can’t just let people out and hope for the best,” she said. “What happened to my dad didn’t have to happen. And unless things change, it’s going to keep happening to other families.”