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Brianna Nargiso

Brianna Nargiso's Latest Articles

Lauren LaPine
Community mental health and hospitals partner to fill care gaps

Michigan's hospitals and community mental health agencies are working together to address gaps in behavioral health care that contribute to long emergency department stays and delays in treatment. Several recent initiatives aim to improve care coordination and create new models of crisis response.  

Head Start and similar programs build academic skills as well as social and emotional strengths. 
60 years of Head Start. What’s next?

As Head Start marked its 60th anniversary this past May, the program’s legacy stands as more than a historical benchmark. It offers a powerful example of how early learning can drive equity, resilience, and long-term impact. 

Community collaborations help coordinate shelter, food, clothing, and other basic needs alongside behavioral health services. Community Action of Allegan County home-delivered meals drivers.
Mental health agencies strengthen services through community collaborations

Across Michigan, community mental health (CMH) agencies are expanding their reach through partnerships with local organizations that address housing, transportation, and other barriers to care. These collaborations aim to create a more coordinated and accessible mental health system, particularly for individuals with complex needs.  

Rx Kids has provided for the Wright family stability during an unpredictable time.
More than a stipend: Rx Kids is transforming childhood beginnings

Rx Kids, the country’s first universal and unconditional cash prescription program for pregnant people and infants, provides financial support to every eligible family within a geographic area, no income requirements, no strings attached. Families receive a one-time $1,500 payment during pregnancy and $500 per month during the baby’s first year of life.  

Cross-sector collaborations have become a vital part of Michigan’s evolving approach to mental health care.
Commmunity mental health partnerships with first responders a win-win for communities

Across Michigan, community mental health (CMH) agencies are redefining crisis response through deep partnerships with EMS, law enforcement, and fire departments. These cross-sector collaborations have become a vital part of Michigan’s evolving approach to mental health care.  

Cross-sector collaborations have become a vital part of Michigan’s evolving approach to mental health care.
Community mental health partnerships with first responders a win-win for communities

Across Michigan, community mental health (CMH) agencies are redefining crisis response through deep partnerships with EMS, law enforcement, and fire departments. These cross-sector collaborations have become a vital part of Michigan’s evolving approach to mental health care.  

Shelley Roossien, Accessibility and Inclusion Specialist at KDL, leads children through a building exercise.
Inclusive Literacy Alliance fosters early reading in Kent County kids with developmental differences

The Inclusive Literacy Alliance is a collaborative, county-wide effort to improve early reading outcomes for children with developmental differences. Parents, educators, service providers, and advocates are piloting solutions that make early literacy more accessible and effective for children who are blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, or autistic.

PreK for All ensures that every 4-year-old in Michigan has access to a high-quality preschool experience, regardless of income.
“A lifeline for families,” PreK for All expands access and raises expectations

Enrollment in PreK for All is now open for all families, no matter their income. The program operates across a mixed delivery system, including local school districts, public charter schools, private child care providers, Head Start programs, and community-based organizations.    

Lauren LaPine
Medicaid cuts would destabilize mental health care: How Michigan is responding

Proposed Medicaid funding cuts would dismantle critical services, especially for residents facing poverty, mental illness, or substance use disorders — and reduce access to mental health services for all.

Protecting patient rights: How community mental health goes above and beyond

MI Mental Health spoke with Wil Morris, CEO Sanilac County Community Mental Health about how local agencies help mental health patients navigate their rights.

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