Michigan’s public mental health system is failing the very people it was built to protect.

A new state audit has confirmed what families and former patients have been saying for years: abuse, neglect, and serious injuries in state-run psychiatric hospitals are not being properly investigated—and sometimes not even acknowledged for days.

Nearly 30% of serious complaints weren’t acted on within the required 24-hour window. Surveillance systems that could have protected vulnerable patients were found to be missing, broken, or lacking basic audio recording. In one case, a child swallowed construction materials under supervision. The investigation? Took over a year.

This isn’t just bureaucracy. It’s lives.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and its Office of Recipient Rights (ORR) have been under scrutiny before, but nothing has changed fast enough. Legislators requested this audit after families came forward with heartbreaking stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma—especially involving children. In one horrifying case, a 10-year-old was attacked at a state hospital and left motionless on the floor. These are not isolated incidents—they are systemic failures.

We’re calling on the Michigan State Legislature and Governor Gretchen Whitmer to immediately enact comprehensive reforms to public mental health oversight, including:

• Full implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations
• Funding and staffing increases to ensure timely investigations
• Mandatory upgrades to all surveillance and recording systems
• Independent oversight to restore public trust and ensure safety

The people in these hospitals—especially children—are some of the most vulnerable in our state. They deserve safety, dignity, and accountability. Delayed investigations and broken cameras cannot become the norm.

Sign this petition to demand justice for past failures and ensure no future patient suffers in silence.