Frustrated by the lack of secure psychiatric beds in the metro area, the Hennepin County Board voted Tuesday to move forward on a plan to build its own mental health facility.
The board unanimously approved $200,000 to study the feasibility of converting an abandoned building at the workhouse in Plymouth. The short-term facility would house residents or inmates who couldn't find a secure bed at the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center, are ready to leave the county jail or are temporarily at Hennepin Healthcare.
It's unclear how many beds will be available at the new "mental health stabilization center," but the board earmarked nearly $13 million for the project. They hope the study will be completed by October.
"The mental health system is jammed up, and this is the county stepping up to deal with a chronic problem," said Commissioner Peter McLaughlin. "We are not offering proper treatment, and it's costing the county significant dollars."
County staff has had "friction" working with the state's Department of Human Services to improve the system and capacity issues at Anoka, but there hasn't been decline in patient numbers, said Commissioner Mike Opat. Right now, inmates at the county jail are staying longer than their sentence time waiting for a bed at Anoka. People placed at Hennepin Healthcare pose risks to themselves and staff because the hospital wasn't meant to be a secure mental health facility, he said.
The board cited a recent case of a man with mental illness who was held in jail for three months even though misdemeanor charges against him were quickly dropped after his arrest.
Plans for a new facility have been discussed by the board for more than a year. The study will focus on the former work release building at the workhouse, which has been shuttered for 10 years. The building used to house 165 inmates.
A large portion of the estimated budget will go to updating plumbing, heating and air conditioning equipment, said County Administrator David Hough.