Henry Ford Health has taken a sizable step toward addressing critical needs in behavioral health by opening a state-of-the-art behavioral health hospital in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Spanning 120,000 square feet on a wooded 15-acre site, the 192-bed facility is designed to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for adolescents, adults and older adults facing acute behavioral health challenges.
“This hospital is here for all in need,” said Emily Sexton, MSN, RN, the CEO of Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital. “It symbolizes the importance of access to behavioral health services in our communities—a need we hear about from our neighbors, colleagues, community leaders and patients.”
“Building it here really helps to centralize us on a health care campus that has both a medical hospital and an addiction center. We can provide a full cycle of care for individuals,” she added.
The facility offers a broad range of inpatient behavioral health services, treating mood disorders, thought disorders, dual diagnosis and substance-use conditions. By integrating advanced treatments, flexible care spaces, and an environment focused on healing, Henry Ford Health has positioned this hospital as a cornerstone for transforming behavioral health in southeast Michigan.
“It’s very exciting to have dreamed about it for the last few years with this team and this community, and now to see it open and running,” said Sexton.
Henry Ford Health is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Accommodating a wide range of needs
The new hospital offers a comprehensive range of mental health treatment options. With more people seeking mental health treatments of varying types since the COVID-19 public health emergency, the hospital is designed to accommodate a wide array of needs.
“This facility and our overall endeavor is to provide access to individuals who are now ready to seek care and who otherwise are not being treated in an appropriate care environment,” said Deepak Prabhakar, MD, a psychiatrist and chair of psychiatry and behavioral health medicine at Henry Ford Health. “We fill this gap with a full continuum of acute behavioral health services. We are going to serve the entire lifespan all the way from pediatrics to older adults.”
With flexible treatment spaces, tailored care can be established based on patients’ unique needs. Outdoor spaces including six courtyards, basketball hoops, gazebos and walking paths encourage movement and relaxation. Enhanced family visitation accommodations can incorporate the support of loved ones in the healing processes.
Additionally, integrated medical care—including an on-site pharmacy and specialized pharmacists—allows for medication management. To further round out the therapeutic range, collaborative art installations created by patients and staff will be recurring at the facility.
The West Bloomfield location offers a great deal of nature to help contribute to wellness and recovery.
“You can feel the calmness it brings to our activity spaces, both for patients and for staff,” said Sexton. “We want patients to adopt wellness and relaxation, and the stillness that the landscape offers is immensely helpful.”
The AMA established the Behavioral Health Initiative (BHI) Collaborative with 11 other leading medical associations to help physicians create practices that are able to help treat the whole patient. Learn more with the BHI webinar series and compendium, which provide expert advice and resources to help your physician practice on your integrated health care journey, no matter where you are on the path.
Offering dialectical behavioral therapy
Combined with the facility’s unique physical features is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), an evidence-based treatment that helps patients develop emotional regulation skills and build resilience.
“DBT is a powerful tool that allows patients to build self-awareness, manage emotions and respond to stress in healthier ways,” says Dr. Prabhakar. “It’s about treating the whole person—mind, body and spirit.”
“We introduce patients to DBT to foster skills that we hope they can carry through their whole journey,” said Sexton. “We use that as the backbone in the beginning to set them up for success. We want to help them build small skills at first that can assist them throughout their care.”
In addition to DBT, the hospital provides:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy to help patients reshape negative thought patterns.
- Recreational therapy, including art, music and pet-assisted activities to promote engagement and self-expression.
- Physical wellness programs, such as an on-premises gym and structured-movement activities to support mental and physical health.
- Family therapy, ensuring that loved ones play an active role in the healing process.
“We have over 100 different evidence-based groups that we can provide and really tailor to the populations that we have on our units,” said Sexton, noting “team members are trained in trauma-informed care approaches.”
“We also offer music therapy, exercise therapy, art therapy and our recreational therapies. It’s a full spectrum of evidence-based practices that really helps us to tailor individually while also serving larger groups,” she added.
Including family members throughout treatment is also an integral part of the care processes at the new hospital. The facility is equipped to accommodate virtual visits with family members during a loved one’s treatment.
“No matter their circumstances, we have the ability to connect the patient, the treatment team and the family together on any given day,” said Dr. Prabhakar.
The standard of care in physician well-being recognition
Institutions in this article have been honored by the Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program.
Breaking down mental health stigma
One of the new hospital’s core missions is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and make behavioral health care more accessible.
“For too long, stigma has kept people from seeking the help they need,” said Sexton. “We’re here to change that by providing a space where patients feel safe, supported and valued.”
The hospital’s design is intentionally geared toward reshaping the perception of mental health treatment, reinforcing the message that mental health is just as important as physical health.
“Henry Ford Health is one of the early adopters of what we call integrated health care,” said Dr. Prabhakar. “Meaning if I as an individual have a headache or I have a broken arm, or I'm going through a severe depression, I can go to the same place and ask for help. And that sends a very strong message that we are not separating mental health care away from your other health issues.”
The AMA has policy supporting efforts to facilitate access to inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services and the continuum of care for mental illness and substance-use disorders, ameliorate the psychiatric workforce shortage and provide adequate payment for the care of patients with mental illness. The AMA also recognizes that child, youth and young adult suicide is a serious health concern in the U.S., and is advocating that children’s mental health and barriers to mental health care access for children represent a national emergency that requires urgent attention from all interested parties.
Training future leaders
Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital is also an academic training site. Initially the hospital plans to train more than 120 nursing students, 12 psychiatric residents and multiple social work interns annually from area institutions.
“This is a place where professionals at every stage of their career can learn, grow and contribute,” said Dr. Prabhakar. “We are committed to shaping the future of behavioral health care by training the next generation of psychiatrists, nurses and social workers.”
Overcoming challenges, looking ahead
Building a hospital of this scale and ambition has come with challenges. The increasing demand for behavioral health services meant that every aspect of the hospital’s development had to be carefully planned to meet the needs of patients while ensuring long-term sustainability.
“As the demand for mental health services grows, we need to stay ahead by continuing to innovate,” said Sexton. “We are looking at future expansions, including the possibility of additional outpatient programs and community-based initiatives.”
Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital could be a major step forward in addressing the mental health crisis and expanding access to evidence-based care throughout southeast Michigan. With its focus on compassionate treatment, innovative therapy models and medical education, it is poised to help behavioral health care grow and evolve.
“We’re just getting started,” said Dr. Prabhakar. “This hospital is not just a place—it’s a movement toward a better future for mental health care in our communities.”
