The center is the first of its kind in West Michigan, providing free, comprehensive support for trauma victims.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With its renowned Medical Mile, Grand Rapids is known as a healthcare hub.
That reputation may only grow with the opening of a new trauma recovery center on Friday.
Corewell Health celebrated the opening of the center with a ribbon-cutting on the second floor of its building at 74 Sheldon Boulevard. The ceremony was merely symbolic — the facility has already been treating patients for nearly a month.
The center is the first of its kind in West Michigan, and only the second in the state. The first center at Henry Ford Health in Detroit opened in September 2024.
The center provides free care to trauma survivors, including victims of rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, and families of homicide victims. It’s staffed by an experienced group of mental health professionals, specially trained to work with trauma survivors.
It’s the kind of help that Priscilla Bordayo wishes she received. Bordayo is a sexual assault survivor who now works for the Crime Survivors Speak, the nation’s largest organization of crime survivors.
“It provides wrap-around services,” said Bordayo, the organization’s partnerships manager. “It’s a one-stop place where they can get everything that they need in order to heal.”
For patients, the first 16 sessions are free, funded by a $1.6 million grant from Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services budget.
“It is very unique,” said Subodh Jain, the department chief of behavioral health at Corewell Health. “There are not very many programs where you get psychiatric and psychological care for free.”
Bordayo worked with legislators to earn funding for both of the state’s trauma recovery centers.
“What’s sad is that when I was a survivor, I didn’t have these resources,” said Bordayo. “I look forward to just coming back next year and being able to see how many people we’ve impacted in just one year,” said Bordayo.