Tim Phillips was 48 years old and working as a live-in nanny caring for three children when overwhelming anxiety, loneliness and life pressures pushed him to a breaking point. He said he was about to take all his medication and did not want people to find him dead. Instead, in 2024, he walked into a mental health urgent care facility in Pontiac and got help on the spot.
Phillips said the care he received at CNS Healthcare's Pontiac facility was lifesaving, telling WXYZ Channel 7 that he probably would not be alive without it. CNS Healthcare operates the facility, which provides walk-in mental health care to people in crisis. According to the outlet, the clinic guides patients through check-in, a nursing evaluation, vital-sign measurement and a prescriber consultation when needed.
No Referral, Same-Day Access
The Pontiac location, at 600 Telegraph Road, Suite 300, offers same-day or walk-in appointments for anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and psychosis, according to cnshealthcare.org. No referral is needed to be seen. The site also notes that affordable options are available for uninsured patients, meaning cost or lack of insurance does not have to stand between someone and care.
Karla Heinig, identified as the mental health urgent care supervisor, and Jennifer Shumaker, CNS Healthcare's chief clinical officer of adult services, both spoke about how the model works in practice, per the WXYZ report. Shumaker said patients can be seen immediately and that people can simply walk in and receive help. She added that mental health support needs are growing, as people and families increasingly experience isolation, anxiety, depression and economic pressures.
Built for Speed and Privacy
Beyond the walk-in model, the facility offers dedicated assessment rooms for children and telehealth suites that connect patients with providers at other office locations, the station's report notes. Services at the site include peer support, nursing services, medication management, and crisis planning and support, according to the same cnshealthcare.org listing. CNS Healthcare also runs a 24/7 on-call Crisis Intervention Program alongside its virtual and face-to-face options.
Shumaker said walk-in or same-day access helps people enter treatment earlier, before a crisis develops further. That framing matches how Phillips described his own experience: rather than waiting weeks for an appointment while his condition worsened, he walked through the door looking for help.
A Growing Regional Network
CNS Healthcare describes itself as a nonprofit, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic with seven clinics and three clubhouses across southeastern Michigan, per its own location page. The organization's Pontiac page states it delivers services to more than 8,600 people annually. The organization also says its urgent-care services are offered on a same-day or walk-in basis at three of its locations, allowing people to find support for anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or psychosis without waiting weeks, according to its homepage.
CNS Healthcare says patients can seek help regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Phillips, for his part, encouraged others facing similar struggles to seek help and to remember they are not alone. More information on the organization's services is available at cnshealthcare.org.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can also reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
