12/19/2025
PRESS RELEASE: A guiding light for Lansing: Crisis Care Center progress offers reassurance during winter months
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.
“We know the season can weigh heavily on many, and the time of year can cause some accessibility restraints for people who need services,” said Lurie. “We’re committed to making behavioral health care accessible to the community, especially during times when mental health needs often increase. Our existing crisis services are open every day, and our new center will expand that support next year.”
Construction on the Crisis Care Center, located at 2900 Stabler St. on the former McLaren Greenlawn campus, is three-quarters completed. Inside the future center, transformation is taking shape. With interior painting underway, CMHA-CEI is steadily moving from top to bottom, giving color and life to spaces that will soon offer additional care and support. Meanwhile, preparations are in motion for advanced safety features and access control technologies to create a secure and calming environment. “Our progress is powered by people,” said Lurie. “Every decision, every improvement is rooted in compassion and hope for improvement. We’re building a place where individuals and families will feel seen and supported, guiding a clear path forward.”
The center will unite several programs currently located across the region into a single, welcoming hub of behavioral health support. At its heart will be the Crisis Stabilization Unit, a first of its kind for Lansing, with dedicated wings for adults and for children and youth. Lurie emphasized the space will embody the community’s resilience and belief that no one should face a crisis alone. “The center represents more than bricks and mortar,” said Lurie. “It’s a testament to what we can achieve when we choose community. It’s a shared investment in healing, dignity and hope.”
For those already experiencing any form of mental or behavioral health challenges, CMHA-CEI’s existing Crisis Services offer walk-ins and 24-hour calls every day. The organization ensures help is always within reach, especially as the holidays amplify both joy and challenge.
Those experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis should call Adult Crisis Services at 517-346-8460 or Children’s Crisis Services at 517-346-8008 for immediate care. Alternatively, visit CMHA-CEI’s Adult Crisis Services website (https://www.ceicmh.org/services/) or Children’s Crisis Services website to access readily available support.
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. As a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), CMHA-CEI delivers integrated, evidence-based care to anyone who seeks help, regardless of diagnosis or insurance status. Through direct care and partnerships, CMHA-CEI is dedicated to meeting community needs with innovative and effective support systems that empower individuals, foster recovery, and enhance quality of life.
