May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the theme is “together for mental health.” The newly opened Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus reflects the theme. Rae and David Green, life-long Grand Rapidans, founded Sanford in 2015 with a mission to elevate the effectiveness and availability of treatment for individuals diagnosed with addiction and mental health disorders. Seven years of intelligent, controlled growth, and today Sanford Behavioral Health is licensed and accredited as a thriving substance use disorder, eating disorder, and mental health treatment center.
Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus has opened its doors, and we are excited to show it to you!
David Green, Founder and CEO says, “We are proud that even during a pandemic we were able to secure robust community and insurance partnerships, attract talented medical and clinical providers, and experience this kind of growth. Opening Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus is a giant step toward furthering our mission to raise the bar on mental health treatment in Michigan.”
Filled with light, original artwork, and similar to other Sanford Behavioral Health properties, Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus is a beautiful space in which to heal. Sanford West was opened (in Ottawa County, 12 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids) in response to a scarcity of mental health treatment options in the state. It also houses the first standalone residential eating disorder treatment center in Michigan, addiction and co-occurring mental health beds, and a medical detox center. Rounding out the Sanford continuum of care, the campus is situated on 18 rural acres. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gilbert Masterson says, “We see patients in so much pain. They are physically ill because of their substance use or eating disorders, and 85% of our patients have co-occurring psychiatric issues as well. They need evaluation and long-term medical and psychiatric care. Our ultimate goal is to stop the pain.”
“The need for addiction, eating disorder and mental health treatment in Michigan is dire,” said Rae Green, JD, LPC, CAADC, president and founder of Sanford Behavioral Health. “Data shows that Michiganders go untreated or leave the state to find the support and treatment they need due to the severe shortage of effective treatment providers. Also, state and federal medical experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened individuals’ mental health issues.”
