Trinity Health Michigan Gets $200,000 Suicide Prevention Grant
A two-year Flinn Foundation grant will fund a program aimed at safer care transitions for patients discharged from behavioral health units.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Substance Abuse
Trinity Health Michigan received a $200,000 two-year grant from the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation to support the Post-Hospital Safer Suicide Care Transition and Treatment Program. The Foundation approved the grant during its September 2026 Board of Trustees meeting.
Why it matters
Individuals are at elevated risk of suicide in the weeks and months after hospitalization for a mental health crisis, and patients often face challenges accessing care after discharge. The grant targets that gap for residents across Michigan.
The grant is $200,000 over two years from the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation. Funding supports evidence-based screening, assessment, and safety planning, but the number of patients the program will reach has not been disclosed.
The players
Trinity Health Michigan
A health system providing inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient therapy and psychiatry, substance use disorder treatment, and partial hospitalization programs across the state.
Ethel and James Flinn Foundation
A philanthropic foundation that funds health and community initiatives, and approved this two-year grant at its September 2026 Board of Trustees meeting.
The details
The program enhances care coordination and follow-up for patients discharged from inpatient behavioral health units, providing pathways to intensive outpatient and outpatient treatment delivered in person and virtually. It is designed to connect patients with ongoing treatment and recovery resources while reducing barriers to care.
Timeline
September 2026: The Flinn Foundation Board of Trustees approved the grant.
Over the following two years: Grant funding is distributed to develop and implement the program.
Legal Context
Post-discharge suicide prevention programs like this one build on evidence-based screening and safety planning protocols widely used in inpatient psychiatric care. The grant extends those protocols beyond the hospital into outpatient follow-up.
Patients discharged from behavioral health units in Michigan may gain access to structured follow-up, safety planning, and in-person or virtual outpatient treatment. The program aims to reduce gaps in care during the high-risk period after hospitalization.
The takeaway
Follow-up care after a mental health hospitalization matters, and programs that connect patients to outpatient treatment in the weeks after discharge can help bridge the risk window. Anyone in crisis should contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Further reading
Explore more on Substance Abuse care and treatment options.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WHMI 93.5 FM.
