Making a Complaint About a Mental Health Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, you have the right to speak up if you’re unhappy with a mental health service. Whether you received care at a hospital, community clinic, private practice, or telehealth service, you can make a complaint and ask for your concerns to be reviewed.

This guide explains how to make a complaint about mental health services in Grand Rapids, who can help, and what to expect.

Your Rights to Complain About Mental Health Care in Grand Rapids

Anyone who is genuinely concerned about the quality or safety of mental health care in Grand Rapids can make a complaint, including:

  • People receiving mental health treatment or counseling
  • Family members and caregivers
  • Friends and support persons
  • Mental health workers and advocates
  • Community organizations

You can complain about any aspect of mental health treatment or care, such as:

  • How you were treated by staff
  • Access to services or long wait times
  • Medication management and treatment decisions
  • Discharge planning and follow-up care
  • Privacy, confidentiality, and access to your health records
  • Cultural sensitivity and respect for your background or identity

This applies to services across the Grand Rapids area, including:

  • Spectrum Health (Corewell Health) behavioral health and psychiatry services
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids behavioral health programs
  • University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health) mental health services
  • Mercy Health and affiliated behavioral health providers
  • Community mental health clinics and private practices in Kent County

Because Grand Rapids experiences long, cold winters and seasonal changes that can worsen depression, anxiety, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), mental health care is especially important. If your care doesn’t feel safe, respectful, or effective, you are allowed to speak up.

Step 1: Try to Resolve the Issue With the Service Directly

In most cases, the first step is to contact the person or organization that provided your mental health care.

You can:

  • Ask to speak with the clinic manager, practice manager, or patient advocate
  • Contact the hospital’s Patient Relations or Patient Experience department
  • Write an email or letter describing your concerns
  • Request a meeting (in-person, by phone, or video)

Major Grand Rapids providers usually have formal complaint or grievance processes:

  • Spectrum Health / Corewell Health – West Michigan: Patient Relations / Patient Experience
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids: Patient Relations / Patient Advocate
  • University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health): Patient Relations / Patient Experience
  • Mercy Health: Patient Relations / Customer Service

When you contact them, include:

  • Your name and contact details
  • The name of the service or provider
  • Dates of appointments or hospital stays
  • What happened and why you’re concerned
  • What outcome you’re hoping for (explanation, apology, change in care, second opinion, etc.)

If you feel unsafe, not listened to, or the service does not respond, you can take your complaint further.

Public vs. Private Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids

In Grand Rapids, mental health care is offered through both public and private systems.

Public Mental Health Services

These typically include:

  • Network180 (Kent County Community Mental Health Authority)
  • State-funded or county-funded mental health and substance use programs
  • Some hospital-based community mental health programs

You can contact Network180 for concerns about public mental health services in Kent County:

They can guide you through their internal complaint and grievance process.

You may also contact:

  • Kent County Health Department – for public health concerns related to mental health services
  • Grand Rapids Public Health programs – for community-based support, education, and referrals

Private Mental Health Services

These include:

  • Private therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists
  • Group practices and counseling centers
  • Private hospital-based outpatient mental health clinics
  • Telehealth mental health providers serving Grand Rapids residents

For private mental health services, start by contacting the clinic or provider’s office manager or complaint contact listed in your intake paperwork or on their website.

When to Seek External Help With a Mental Health Complaint

If you find it difficult to raise your concerns directly with the service, or you are still unhappy with their response, you can seek independent help.

In Michigan, external options may include:

  • Your health insurance company (commercial, Medicaid, or Medicare plan) – to complain about coverage decisions, billing, or network issues
  • State of Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) – for insurance-related complaints
  • State licensing boards (for psychologists, social workers, counselors, physicians, nurses) – for concerns about professional conduct or safety
  • Patient advocates or legal aid organizations – for more complex cases involving rights, discrimination, or safety

These organizations are independent of the mental health service and can:

  • Explain your rights and options
  • Help you write and organize your complaint
  • Work with you and the service to try to resolve your concerns
  • Discuss other options if they are unable to help directly

What You Can Complain About

You can make a complaint about almost any aspect of mental health treatment or care in Grand Rapids, including:

Quality and Safety of Care

  • Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
  • Inadequate monitoring of medications
  • Concerns about self-harm or suicide risk not being taken seriously
  • Unsafe conditions in inpatient units or clinics

Communication and Respect

  • Feeling dismissed, ignored, or disrespected
  • Lack of involvement in treatment decisions
  • Cultural or language barriers not being addressed
  • Stigma or discrimination related to mental illness, race, gender, or identity

Access and Coordination

  • Long wait times for appointments or follow-up
  • Difficulty accessing crisis services, especially in winter storms or severe weather
  • Poor coordination between your primary care doctor and mental health provider

Privacy and Records

  • Breaches of confidentiality
  • Problems accessing your medical records
  • Incorrect or incomplete information in your chart

Who Can Make a Complaint?

Any person who is genuinely concerned about someone’s experience with a mental health service in Grand Rapids can make a complaint, including:

  • The person receiving care
  • Parents or legal guardians of minors
  • Adult family members and partners
  • Carers and support persons
  • Friends and community advocates
  • Mental health workers or other healthcare staff who witness a concern

You do not have to be the direct patient to raise a serious concern, especially if you believe someone’s safety or rights may be at risk.

When to Make a Complaint

It is best to make your complaint as soon as possible while details are still clear. However, you can still raise concerns later, especially if:

  • You only realized something was wrong after treatment ended
  • You discovered an error in your medical records
  • A pattern of problems becomes clear over time

Keep notes of:

  • Dates, times, and places
  • Names of staff or providers involved
  • What was said or done
  • How it affected you

This information can help any organization reviewing your complaint.

Language, Accessibility, and Communication Support

Many healthcare organizations in Grand Rapids and across Michigan can arrange support to help you communicate your concerns.

If English Is Not Your First Language

Ask the hospital, clinic, or mental health provider to:

  • Arrange a professional medical interpreter (not a family member)
  • Provide written information in your preferred language, if available

Kent County and Grand Rapids health services often use interpreter services at no cost to you.

If You Are Deaf or Have Hearing or Speech Support Needs

You can:

  • Use relay services or video relay to call clinics and hospitals
  • Request written communication by email or secure messaging
  • Ask for sign language interpreters for in-person or telehealth appointments

Let the service know your preferred way to communicate when you first contact them about your complaint.

Tips for Writing an Effective Mental Health Complaint

When you are ready to make a complaint about a mental health service in Grand Rapids:

  1. Be clear and specific

    • Describe what happened, when, and where.
    • Focus on facts and your experience.

  2. Explain the impact

    • How did this affect your mental health, safety, or daily life?
    • Did it affect your work, school, or family?

  3. State what you want

    • An explanation or apology
    • A change in your treatment plan or provider
    • A review of policies or staff training
    • Correction of your medical records

  4. Keep copies

    • Save emails, letters, and notes from phone calls.
    • Write down names and titles of people you speak with.

Local Grand Rapids and Kent County Resources

While there is no single “mental health complaints commission” specific to Grand Rapids, the following local resources can support you in understanding and navigating mental health services:

  • Network180 (Kent County Community Mental Health Authority)

  • Kent County Health Department

  • United Way 2-1-1 (West Michigan)

    • Dial 2-1-1
    • Can connect you to mental health services, advocacy groups, and legal aid organizations that may help with complaints.

  • Local hospitals’ Patient Relations / Patient Experience departments

    • Spectrum Health / Corewell Health – West Michigan
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health)
    • Mercy Health

Check each hospital’s website for current phone numbers and email addresses for Patient Relations or Patient Experience.

If You’re Unsure What to Do Next

If you’re not sure where to start:

  • Contact the mental health provider or clinic and ask, “How do I file a complaint or grievance?”
  • Call Network180 or Kent County Health Department and ask for guidance on mental health complaints and advocacy resources.
  • Reach out to United Way 2-1-1 to be connected with local advocacy or legal aid organizations that understand Michigan mental health laws and patient rights.

You do not have to handle this alone. Speaking up about problems in mental health care in Grand Rapids helps improve services for you and for others in our community, especially during challenging seasons when mental health needs are highest.