In 1997, Michigan Gov. Engler closed over a dozen psychiatric hospitals. Michigan residents are still feeling the effects today

Former Michigan Gov. John Engler in 2009
Photo credit Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WWJ) – In 1997 then-Michigan Gov. John Engler moved to close more than a dozen state psychiatric hospitals.

More than a quarter century later, Michigan’s community mental health services and hospitals are still struggling to keep up and residents are feeling the effects, as the state’s mental health crisis persists.

On a new Daily J podcast, WWJ’s Brian Fisher digs into the decades-long issue and here from experts about what improvements are on the way to Michigan’s mental health infrastructure.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images