Some of the most amazing people you will ever meet work for Lee Carlson Center. Here are some strategies our staff use to stay well.
Self-care is a lifestyle for our team members. We cant ask you to practice self-care if we don’t practice self-care!
Schedule an appointment today with one of our self-care specialists.
Rob Edwards
CEO
Lee Carlson Center’s newest service program developed for schools is their Critical Event Services Program providing mental health related resource to schools during times of crisis.
The program is designed to assist schools with a variety of crisis related situations that arise and provide a critical support to administration, staff students and families.
“We’ve created this program in an effort to be proactive with school partners around planning for the inevitable crisis that could come up at any time within a school community,” said Lee Carlson Center CEO, Rob Edwards.
“Some schools have all the resources they need on hand to address crisis situations. For those who don’t Lee Carlson Center can be a partner,” said Edwards.
Visit their website to learn more. https://leecarlsoncenter.org/programs/criticaleventservices/
Our ITFC program designed for youth living in #fostercare and their parents/caregivers is available across the greater twin cities metro area.
Call our intake line at 763-780-3036 for more information.
LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE AT https://leecarlsoncenter.org/programs/intensive-treatment-foster-care/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2020
Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health and Wellbeing Provides Accessible Care During COVID-19
For more than forty years the community mental health provider Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health and Well-being has served as a beacon of hope, healing and health in the twin cities north metro region of the state.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic Lee Carlson Center has moved all programs virtual and continues to connect with clients every day. “We’ve seen an increase in needs for support and the staff have been quick to act,” said CEO Rob Edwards. Lee Carlson Center’s team uses their telehealth platform to connect with adults, kids and families now. Edwards said it’s been engaging for parents and their children to do this in the comfort of their home at a time like this.
“Our Bridgeview Drop-in Center has gone virtual,” said Edwards. The meals Lee Carlson Center serves at no cost to clients who they call members, during a typical open day at the drop-in center have now gone on wheels, individually packed and delivered to adults with mental illness in their homes. “The support groups we offer have gone online too along with therapy and psychiatry,” Edwards said. “In fact, the agency has got as much to offer as it did before the community health crisis, and we are in contact with all our clients and taking new referrals,” he said.
The Agency’s Intensive Treatment in Foster Care Program and School-linked Mental Health programs have seen an increase in demand for telehealth support. Even our Domestic Abuse Programs continue to operate, said Edwards.
When individuals lack technology or internet access for sessions to take place via the 2-way video platform they can visit one of two clinics with sanitized telehealth stations or get authorization from their health plan to access typical services over the phone instead. More health plans have now relaxed restrictions on telephone support due to the crisis.
If an individual needs mental health support all they need to do is give the agency intake line a call at 763-780-3036.
“We believe there can be nothing more difficult than waiting for the mental health services you need today. That’s why our team works so hard to get individuals scheduled right away and eliminate all waitlists,” said Edwards.
If you don’t have health insurance Lee Carlson Center has sliding fee scale options and MNSure Navigators on staff who can help individuals sign up for coverage they may qualify for.
MORE ABOUT LEE CARLSON CENTER
Nearly 6,000 individuals receive their mental health services from the agency each year across clinics, in their homes, in schools or through their drop-in center. Now perhaps more than ever Lee Carlson Center is living up to the challenge of serving the twin cities. As an Essential Community Provider (ECP) Lee Carlson Center is the provider of choice for affordable mental health services for individuals regardless of their age and their families.
For more information or to secure a media interview regarding any of the agency’s programs please visit our website at www.leecarlsoncenter.org or contact the Chief Executive Officer, Rob Edwards at redwards@leecarlsoncenter.org
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Beginning late last week Lee Carlson Center began moving all mental health programs and services virtual via two-way screen and telephonic means as a result of Covid19. Regarding the change Rob Edwards, CEO of Lee Carlson Center said, “This move will help clients and staff stay safe during this community health crisis.” He said that the agency’s team of therapists is trained and equipped to take new referrals and support anyone who reaches out for support.
The agency has a team of dedicated Engagement Specialist’s trained and ready to help callers use their health care benefits to access a number of alternatives to face to face in person care. The intake line for all programs is one easy number to remember, 763-780-3036. “We are actually reaching out to all our current clients directly to develop a plan for continued care with them,” said Edwards.
The agency has already seen commercial payers and state health plans be open to flexible treatment delivery. Some pending decisions at a state level may even open options for telephonic care under the telehealth definition.
Edwards said that the Bridgeview Drop-in center located in Fridley serving adults with serious and persistent mental illness is closed for drop-in now but is keeping scheduled appointments including therapy and psychiatry, accepting new members and launching virtual drop-in center services including online support groups and a mobile meals program. “We are also seeking partners to help fund these innovative care delivery systems,” said Edwards. “We can scale these programs in the community based on the financial resources that are available,” he said.
Lee Carlson Center is also developing basically furnished clean and sanitized Telehealth stations at it’s 4 treatment sites so that clients without technology have the option to tap in to a therapist using technology at those locations. Once these are established Lee Carlson Center will do everything it can to maintain access throughout the community health crisis. “We really hope to develop ways to connect with clients in the comfort of their own homes but we are also aware that some will not have the means to access our services in a way that works for them. We will continue to be creative in finding solutions to overcome obstacles to delivering client care,” Edwards said.
Lee Carlson Center typically has the capacity to deliver 1000-1500 client encounter sessions per week.
To support the agency’s work visit www.leecarlsoncenter.org/give or email info@leecarlsonenter.org
Thank you so much to Shari, our chili & beer teams, and our guests!
Lee Carlson Center’s 5th Annual Chili Cook-Off & Beer Tasting was one of our best events ever! We had nearly 175 guests in attendance and made nearly $15,000 to help support our uninsured and under-insured clients. Thank you to everyone who came to the event, donated, volunteered, and supported Lee Carlson Center!
If you are interested in a Lee Carlson Center “Keep Talking About Mental Health” t-shirt from the event, we have a limited number available for sale. If you have feedback on the Chili Cook-Off or would like to buy a t-shirt please email Kate King, Director of Development, at kking@leecarlsoncenter.org.
The Bridgeview Member Event with Shari from Master Chef was a Huge Success
Prior to the Chili Cook-Off “main event” Shari joined our Bridgeview members at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights for a cooking expo!
Shari taught members how to prepare a delicious green chicken chili complete with homemade tortillas. Members learned how to safely use various types of chef knives and gained some insight on new plants for our gardening group this spring.
All members received a copy of Shari’s very own recipe and had a wonderful Q&A session during lunch.
Our “main event” was a huge success!
Family Three Music kept toes tapping throughout the night. Kim was a big winner when she took home the 58″ Samsung TV during the raffle.
Team Gold Rush Wins Fan Fave for 2nd Year Team CH-ili Takes Home the Golden Chili Pot
For the 2nd consecutive year we had team Gold Rush of the Blaine-Ham Lake Rotary win Fan Favorite Chili.
Celebrity Judge Shari picked her top three chili teams and Team CH-ili of the Columbia Heights Police Department came up with the big win and took home the coveted Golden Chili Pot.
In the beer arena, Alloy Brewing came out on top and took home the Inaugural Golden Growler.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Lee Carlson Center and helped make our event and our work successful!
Best Regards,
Kate King, MA
Director of Development
Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health and Well-Being
7954 University Ave NE
Fridley, MN 55432
Direct: 763-230-7836
kking@leecarlsoncenter.org
