Jeffrey welcomed Sara Lurie, Chief Executive Officer, Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham Counties
Can you explain the kinds of services the new Crisis Care Center will offer?
How does the new Crisis Care Center reflect CMHA-CEI’s long-term vision for behavioral health care in our region?
What’s something you wish more people understood about seeking support for mental health, especially before it becomes a crisis?
We know the holidays can be both joyful and difficult. How is CMHA-CEI meeting people where they are emotionally during this season, and why is that important now?
How does CMHA-CEI work to make mental health care feel more accessible and less intimidating, including for families and young people?
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HOPE BEYOND WINTER BLUES: Behavioral health center is a guiding light for 2026
A guiding light for Lansing: Crisis Care Center progress offers reassurance during winter months
Construction advances on a cornerstone mental health resource and investment for the region
LANSING, Mich. — As winter settles across the region, the season brings both reflection and renewed focus on community well-being. Construction continues on the Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties’ (CMHA-CEI) Crisis Care Center—a project grounded in compassion and designed to expand access to fundamental mental health support, bringing warmth and hope as 2025 draws to a close and the community’s shared vision for a brighter 2026 approaches. The center’s progress shines vividly, reflecting the community’s ongoing investment in healing, connection and care for all.
As the season of togetherness returns, it can also bring quiet reminders of loneliness or unspoken struggles. For some, the contrast between festive expectations and personal reality can intensify emotional and mental health challenges. When school is on break and routines are disrupted, families often lose access to the daily support systems they rely on, making timely, accessible behavioral health care even more essential.
In those moments, CMHA-CEI’s existing crisis services for all ages offer immediate, around-the-clock support and will continue to be accessible during a difficult season for resources. The Crisis Care Center stands as a guiding light for the year ahead, expanding support, access and stability for the community in 2026.
“This season reminds us how essential it is to have accessible, safe and welcoming spaces for healing,” said Sara Lurie, CEO of CMHA-CEI. “Our community is coming together to offer renewed hope by responding with compassion, innovation and action.”
Nearly one in three Americans experience increased holiday stress, and a quarter report worsened mental health during the season, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Top stressors include financial pressures, grief and difficult family dynamics. As the days shorten, “winter blues,” or seasonal depression, can set in, with reduced sunlight disrupting sleep and mood, deepening winter’s emotional toll.
Even when it doesn’t feel like an emergency, individuals experiencing these or other mental health challenges can access support now. CMHA-CEI’s Access Center provides same-day assessments and connects individuals to services tailored to their needs. Care is available to everyone in the community, with or without insurance.
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About Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMHA-CEI):
The Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMHA-CEI) provides a comprehensive range of person-centered, high-quality behavioral health, substance use, and developmental disability services to residents in the region.
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