Millage Recipient Profile - Arbor Circle

Arbor Circle is one of the Ready by Five Providers. Arbor Circle's mission is to transform the lives of children, adults, and families facing mental health, substance use, and family concerns.

With over 50 programs and services, Arbor Circle is one of West Michigan's most comprehensive providers of mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and family development programs. Each year, Arbor Circle guides more than 15,000 people to discover and build their skills, strengths, and support networks to overcome life's challenges.

Arbor Circle has been funded by the Ready by Five Early Childhood millage for two programs in the field of Healthy Development. Healthy Development programming supports parents and caregivers in obtaining the knowledge and skills to support their child’s health, development, and early learning. The two programs include:

• The expansion of their Infant Toddler Developmental Services (ITDS). This program is home-based support and clinical interventions to families with children ages 0-5 where the infant's characteristics or the parent's condition/circumstances threaten the parent-infant attachment and healthy development.
• Launch of  Keep Early Education Positive (KEEP), a program that utilizes the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) model by teaming mental health professionals with early care and education staff and families to promote positive social/emotional development of children in care.

"I’m so proud to be living in a community that recognizes the value of investing in early childhood development. The Ready by Five Millage represents a community of forward-thinking residents. We are grateful that the community has chosen Arbor Circle to provide these important services." said Kristin Gietzen, Arbor Circle President & CEO.

Here’s a story of Brianna who benefited from Arbor Circle’s KEEP program. Brianna was removed from her biological mother at four months old due to severe abuse and neglect. At the time of her referral to KEEP, Brianna was three years old and living in a pre-adoptive home. Brianna was displaying physical aggression and extreme oppositional behavior toward the other children and adults at her child care center and was asked to leave. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a KEEP mental health provider has been conducting virtual sessions with Brianna and her pre-adoptive family. With these sessions and interventions from KEEP, the child care center has agreed to allow Brianna to return when they reopen.