County to Close Kingsley Youth Health Center, Shift to School Based Care

The Grand Traverse County Health Department announced today it will close the K Town Youth Health Center in Kingsley on Dec. 18, ending 15 years of clinic services for adolescents ages 10 to 21. Leadership said the closure will be accompanied by an expansion of services and a new partnership with Kingsley Area Schools to launch the E3 program, which stands for Expanding, Enhancing, Emotional Health.

Under E3, a licensed mental health provider will be stationed on site at Kingsley High School to deliver prevention, screening, assessment, treatment, education and referral services year round. The health department framed the move as a continuity effort to maintain and strengthen youth mental health access in Kingsley even as the physical clinic closes.

The shift will change how families obtain physical health care for teens. The county directed families who need physical health services to the Youth Health and Wellness Center on Parsons Road in Traverse City and to the Grand Traverse County Health Department main office on LaFranier Road. Those locations will become the primary sites for immunizations physical exams and other clinical services previously available at the Kingsley clinic.

The decision carries public health and equity implications for a largely rural area where transportation and time away from work can create barriers to care. Moving clinical services to Traverse City may increase travel burdens for some families while placing mental health services in the high school may reduce access barriers for students who attend classes on site. Students who are homeschooled not enrolled in Kingsley schools or who need services outside school hours may face gaps unless alternate arrangements are made.

The county plan reflects broader trends toward integrating behavioral health within schools, and it raises questions about how well the change will serve the most vulnerable youth. Community stakeholders will want clear information on hours eligibility and referral pathways, and monitoring outcomes will be important to ensure the new approach does not inadvertently widen disparities in access.

For now the health department is directing physical health inquiries to the Youth Health and Wellness Center on Parsons Road in Traverse City and to the Grand Traverse County Health Department main office on LaFranier Road while the E3 program is stood up at Kingsley High School.