IRON MOUNTAIN — Northpointe Behavioral Healthcare System provided services to 1,582 people in Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties in 2025, the agency’s CEO reported.

Mandy Padget, who has served as CEO since April, presented Northpointe’s annual report to Dickinson County commissioners last Monday and Iron County commissioners on Tuesday.

Under Michigan’s mental health code, Northpointe’s services are directed to people who have a serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance or developmental disability. Anyone enrolled or eligible for enrollment in Michigan Medicaid is eligible for services. Those who do not have Medicaid may receive limited case management or limited therapy.

In Northpointe’s annual report, Padget highlighted several developments:

— Effective July 1, Northpointe resumed providing crisis services at Aurora Medical Center Bay Area in Marinette, Wis., which serves as the closest hospital for southern Menominee County. This required extensive collaboration between both states and numerous partner organizations, Paget said. Previously, crisis services for Michigan residents at Aurora Bay Area had been complicated by licensing issues. Crisis services are also provided at OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba, Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson in Iron Mountain and Aspirus Hospital in Iron River.

— Northpointe has researched and developed a dedicated jail liaison position to provide case management services to inmates at the Iron County Jail. This helps connect individuals with appropriate mental health services as an alternative to incarceration and also helps ensure they remain engaged in their treatment.

— Collaboration and communication with law enforcement agencies was increased in all three counties with a focus on enhancing coordinated responses for community members in crisis.

— A parent support partner position resumed in August, helping bridge understanding between families and providers. Also, community health workers within the agency are helping individuals navigate behavioral health systems, access resources and stay engaged in care.

— In all, Northpointe delivered 58,726 unique points of service within the three counties during the year. This included three Northpointe residential homes, Northpointe offices, communities within the three counties and the homes of individuals and families.

Dickinson County in December — with Padget’s support — joined dozens of counties protesting a planned change in the way the state’s mental health services contracts are managed. Iron County took a similar stance in July.

The state has 10 regional Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans that are charged with managing a region’s behavioral health Medicaid funds. But MDHHS in August opened contracts for PIHPs to competitive bidding. The RFP, or request for proposals, would reduce the number of plan regions from 10 to three and likely open the door to private, non-profit health plans or managed care organizations taking control of behavioral health services.

In late January, the state withdrew the RFP for administration of about $4.9 billion in Medicaid-backed mental health services after a judge deemed the bid to be in conflict with Michigan law. Judge Christopher P. Yates of the Michigan Court of Claims stopped short of issuing an injunction to halt the transition process, instead ordering the state to address the legal conflicts.

It remains to be seen if the state will submit a new bid before the end of the year and disrupt the current system. Some providers who contract with regional entities to provide mental health services believe the structure needs reform and support the state’s intervention, according to Bridge Michigan.

Northpointe’s Medicaid funding in 2025 totaled $22.8 million, representing about 83% of its budget, according to the annual report. The Healthy Michigan Plan, at $3.37 million, represented about 12%.

Marquette-based NorthCare Network is the regional PIHP for the Upper Peninsula, overseeing Northpointe and the region’s other community mental health service providers. The NorthCare Network Governing Board is comprised of three delegates from each of the five U.P. community mental health service program boards, including Northpointe. Those boards, in turn, are appointed by the respective county boards.

A resolution passed by Dickinson County in December said the state’s proposed restructuring could “jeopardize the person-centered, recovery-oriented approach that has been cultivated under the public system.”

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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.