RN, PHN , Masters (Current)
Bridget Collier, RN, PHN, is a first-year Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner student at Purdue University Global. She brings a strong foundation in public health and adolescent mental health, shaped by her experience as a credentialed school nurse in downtown Los Angeles. There, she provided primary pediatric care, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed support for students facing substance use, mental health concerns, and complex social determinants of health.
Collier's lived experience and connection to youth with unmet needs continue to guide her commitment to education, prevention, and culturally responsive mental health care, especially around marijuana use and its impact on the developing adolescent brain.
Before graduate study, Collier built a career improving care quality, equity, and access across California’s managed-care landscape. At Centene, she led statewide initiatives to improve HEDIS outcomes, strengthen provider education, and reduce disparities through CalAIM programs, including street medicine, doula care, and Enhanced Care Management. In her current role, she supports health-system partners in advancing affordability, quality, and inclusivity by identifying barriers, analyzing delivery trends, and implementing strategies that improve population-health outcomes.
Collier is passionate about expanding mental health access for low-income and unhoused youth in Los Angeles. She has lobbied at the California state level for inclusive health and continues to champion policies that protect vulnerable communities. Her advocacy focuses on limiting adolescent access to high-potency cannabis and increasing prevention education in schools and communities.
Collier also enjoys volunteering in her home community of Altadena, California, which was deeply affected by the January 2025 wildfires. Collier hopes that the combination of her nursing background, public-health experience, and commitment to equality will position her to influence legislation that protects developing minds, strengthens school-based mental health systems, and improves outcomes for youth with unmet needs across California.