ADMIRE Mission Statement
Families Seeking Quality Emergency Health Services In Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin
Vision
We are a group of advocates and parents who envision a day when children, young adults, and adults with serious mental illness receive emergency and post-emergency mental health services judiciously, efficiently, and humanely.
Mission
We want to understand why there are problems with emergency mental health treatment in Milwaukee County and then advocate for changes to processes so that those who are seriously mentally ill receive the quality treatment they need and deserve.
We want Milwaukee County to prioritize service, treatment, and housing for those who suffer most from serious mental illness.
We want significant change to occur at the Granite Hills facility to accomplish this.
We want parents (legal guardians) to have more involvement in all stages of the emergency mental health treatment process.
We don’t want seriously mental ill patients being released to the general population without access or commitment to additional services.
We are frustrated with the current state of emergency mental health services administered by Milwaukee county officials. We believe that anyone with a potential harm to themselves, their family or the community should be able to receive emergency mental health treatment, through Milwaukee County services, for whatever period of time is required to achieve stability. We believe that anyone exiting a county administered emergency mental health treatment facility has the right to live in a safe, predetermined housing option. We believe that we can be of help to improve mental health services for those who suffer the most from serious mental illness.
Flyer Fact Sources
1.In Wisconsin, the ratio of mentally ill individuals incarcerated to hospitalization is 4 to 1 FROM 2016 https://www.tac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/smi-in-jails-and-prisons.pdf
2. Wisconsin has about 25% of the number of psychiatric beds needed to meet minimum treatment standards for mental illness (Treatment Advocacy Center Wisconsin Severe Mental Illness Resources and helpful Info 7.6 beds per 100,000 50/100,000 is recommended. https://www.tac.org/map_directory/wisconsin/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-aK8BhCDARIsAL_-H9n9KPAQ3-54ZRDe8R3kMnTfsERacUaohfQQQK76gfZkvJVeGL7vDmQaAsmqEALw_wcB#state-psychiatric-hospital-beds-in-wisconsin) Treatment Advocacy Center
3. We rank 39 in beds per 100,000 population and #7 in beds occupied by forensic patients https://www.tac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Wisconsinbedsinformation.pdf
Wisconsin Severe Mental Illness Resources and Helpful Info https://www.tac.org/map_directory/wisconsin/#state-psychiatric-hospital-beds-in-wisconsin
From Treatment Advocacy Center
4. Today, Milwaukee has two, eight-bed crisis stabilization houses; the Mental Health Emergency Center; and the Granite Hills Hospital which has the staffing for 36 adult beds and 12 youth beds to handle those in a psychiatric emergency.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel July 11, 2024 (https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/2024/07/08/mental-health-needs-milwaukee-psychiatric-bed-shortage-granite-hills-county-complex/74169046007/)
5. The numbers of people incarcerated who also have serious mental illnesses reflect that “people of color are more likely to suffer disparities in mental health treatment in general, which results in their being more likely ushered into the criminal justice system.” (Dr. Tiffany Townsend, senior director of the American Psychological Association’s Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs [from Susannah Cahalan Saturday Evening Post May 5 “Mental Illness Meltdown”) https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2020/05/mental-illness-treatment-in-meltdown/
6. The only public psychiatric hospital in Milwaukee County is owned and operated by a private, for profit, business, Universal Health Service. They have a maximum capacity of 48 beds. (Wisconsin Health News April 2024 https://wisconsinhealthnews.com/2024/04/26/granite-hills-hospital-plans-growth/)
Journal Sentinel, Evan Wen; July 8, 2024 https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/2024/07/08/mental-health-needs-milwaukee-psychiatric-bed-shortage-granite-hills-county-complex/74169046007/