On July 26, Bradford Gille entered a Traverse City Walmart and, allegedly, stabbed 11 people in a seemingly random attack. As often happens after such tragedies, coverage focused on psychiatric beds and state institution closures, but that misses what matters most: home and community-based services.

Federal and state law require people like Gille to be treated in the “ least restrictive environment ,” not confined to hospitals for life. After discharge, Community Mental Health (CMH) agencies must secure housing and services. Decades of evidence show community-based care delivers better outcomes at far lower cost than long-term hospitalization.

Those who knew Gille say he cycled through a broken system of hospitals and jails. His brother reported he found stability in 2020 in a staffe

See Full Page