Proposed Mental Health Hospital Should be at County Grounds, Not in West Allis

MILWAUKEE – In a statement released today, County Supervisor John Weishan, Jr., expressed his opposition to a proposal to build a new behavior health hospital in West Allis.

“Instead of locating a new mental health hospital in West Allis, it would be more advantageous to build a new facility at the Milwaukee County Grounds. A County Grounds location would be closer to those in most need, it would not be in a residential neighborhood, and it would avoid converting land currently zoned for industrial use. Utilizing the County Ground land for this purpose would also place patients closer to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, and therefore closer to complementary resources,” said Weishan.

Universal Health Services has proposed building a 120-bed behavioral health hospital at 1706 South 68th Street in West Allis.

In 2014, the State of Wisconsin passed Act 203, creating the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board. The legislation eliminated the Board of Supervisor’s oversight role, and effectively privatized the mental health system in Milwaukee County.

“The recent approach to mental health care in Milwaukee County is far from perfect,” said Weishan. “In fact, I believe it is less responsive towards patient’s needs than the old system, and dangerous. West Allis’s East Side has a bright future with new, exciting development and this proposal for a mental health facility is out of character with the area. I’m eager to work together with all stakeholders to find a more adequate solution to help our community that we can all be proud of. The current proposed development should not be approved,” he concluded.

Supervisor John F. Weishan, Jr., represents the 16th District on the Board of Supervisors.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.