Children's mental health home and community services

Behavioral health home services provide a team approach that assists people with navigating and coordinating across primary care, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, long-term services and supports, and social services. See the list of current behavioral health home services providers.

Case managers help children and youth with severe mental illness and their families get the help they need. Case managers assess a child's needs and help connect the child and family to appropriate community resources, such as mental, educational, health, vocational, recreational, social, and other necessary services. Contact your child's local county agency or tribe for more information about case management services.

Community Mental Health Centers provide a wide range of mental health services, including prevention, identification and treatment of mental illness, developmental disabilities, and alcohol and drug abuse and dependency. Some provide day treatment and in-home services.

Children's day treatment is a site-based mental health program, consisting of group psychotherapy and skills training services, intended to stabilize the child's mental health status and develop and improve independent living and socialization skills. See the list of current day treatment providers (XLS).

First episode psychosis programs serve people 15 to 40 with early signs of psychosis. The word psychosis is used to describe conditions that affect the mind when there has been some loss of contact with reality. Psychosis can include hallucinations, paranoia or delusions, and disordered thoughts and speech, and can affect people from all walks of life. Psychosis can be treated, and early treatment increases the chance of a successful recovery. In Minnesota, there are currently two Twin Cities pilot sites

• Hennepin Health
• U of MN Psychiatry

CTSS offers therapy and skills training to children and youth ages 0-21 who have psychological, emotional and intellectual challenges. CTSS that may include:

• Individual, family and group therapy
• Individual, family or group skills training
• Crisis assistance
• Mental health behavioral aide services.

See the list of current 2022 Community CTSS Providers.

Children’s Intensive Behavioral Health Services (CIBHS) is a comprehensive mental health service covered by Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP). CIBHS establishes policies and practices for certification and coverage of mental health services for children and youth who require intensive levels of intervention.

Integrated dual disorders treatment professionals provide treatment to support recovery when mental illness and substance use disorders, such as alcohol or drug abuse, occur together. They use specific listening and counseling skills to guide awareness of how mental and substance use disorders interact and to foster hopefulness and motivation for recovery from both disorders.

A Mental Health Behavioral Aide helps a child with an emotional disturbance practice skills, as taught by the professional or practitioner, in the child's home, school or community setting. See the list of current CTSS providers with MHBA services (XLS).

Minnesota Intensive Therapeutic Homes provide a unique alternative to institutional placement for children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbance and serious acting out behaviors. Services are provided within a family foster setting.

Services provided on an outpatient basis to children who live outside a hospital can include individual, group and family therapy; individual treatment planning; diagnostic assessments; medication management; and psychological testing. Go to DHS Licensing Lookup and under "License Type," select "Mental Health Center/Clinic."

Partial hospitalization is a time-limited program of psychotherapy and other therapeutic services that may be provided in an outpatient hospital facility or Community Mental Health Center. The child or youth continues to live at home but travels to a treatment center for services. The goal of this program is to resolve or stabilize an acute episode of mental illness.

Transition services refer to mental health services for youth ages 14 to 25 that promote movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational training, employment, continuing and adult education, adult mental health and social services, other adult services, independent living, or community participation. They help prepare youth to live independently.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) addresses the needs of children and youth with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other significant behavioral problems related to traumatic life experiences. This evidence-based approach helps children and youth to process trauma and manage their distressing feelings and behaviors.

Youth ACT or Intensive Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (IRMHS) are nonresidential services for youth ages 16 through 20 with a serious mental illness or both a mental illness and substance abuse disorder. A team of multidisciplinary staff provide a variety of services, including coordinating education/employment, health and housing services. See the list of current providers.