Minnesota has seen a gap in its mental health system, particularly for pre-teens and teens who have significantly higher levels of needs often caused by trauma. A new psychiatric residential treatment facility in East Bethel aims to address these needs by providing specialized mental health or behavioral care for young people who cannot be treated with short-stay emergency or outpatient services.
The new facility, operated by Nexus Family Healing, plans to house up to 40 pre-teens and teens at capacity, providing them the necessary 24-hour direction, de-escalation, redirection, supervision for safety, and overall environment that promotes healing.
Dr. Michelle Murray, president/CEO of Nexus Family Healing, emphasized that the center is not a place for judgment or treatment just for the sake of it, but rather serves a specific need for young people experiencing more anxiety, depression, and difficulty coping at school.
The new facility will offer individualized care that prepares residents to go back home successfully and integrate into the community and school. Nexus-Mille Lacs resident Luke Schneider, who spent nine months in therapy, learned how to cope with angry thoughts and properly express his emotions, enabling him to build better relationships and control outbursts.
Nexus East-Bethel plans to start with teenage girls, who currently face the largest gap in mental health care, before slowly ramping up to its full capacity over the next 12-16 months. The new facility hopes to serve as a vital resource to support young people experiencing traumatic life events and bring about positive outcomes for their mental health and overall wellbeing.
