A new facility for young people with complex behavioral and mental health needs is set to open in Minneapolis later this month.
The Hennepin County Youth Stabilization Center comes amid growing concern over gaps in children’s mental health services. Last year, more than 1,000 children experiencing mental health crises were boarded in Minnesota emergency rooms, sometimes for days or even weeks.
Margaret Vimont, Chief Operating Officer at Nexus Family Healing, which will operate the center, spoke with MPR News host Clay Masters about the facility’s goals and design.
Filling Critical Gaps in Care
“Kids are ending up stranded in emergency rooms and juvenile detention centers when they need mental health support,” Vimont said. “This facility provides 30 to 45 days in a safe, supportive environment where families and youth can address challenges, take a breath, and work with the systems involved to chart a path forward.”
The center is designed for children and teens struggling with anxiety, depression, severe behavioral challenges, and self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Vimont emphasized that the facility can handle a broad range of mental health needs, with medical care limitations only applying to children requiring continuous nursing.
Child-Centered Design
Located within Hennepin County’s Behavioral Health Center, the Youth Stabilization Center prioritizes youth and family experiences. “When a child is distressed, the question isn’t, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ but ‘What’s happened to you?’” Vimont said. The center’s approach focuses on understanding the child’s experience and guiding families through the healing process.
Declining Residential Mental Health Services
Residential mental health services for children and adults have declined across the U.S. and in Minnesota over the past decades. Vimont noted that pre-COVID, there was a deliberate shift toward community-based care, including foster care and in-home services. The pandemic further strained resources and reduced group care availability.
“The best system provides support across the spectrum,” she said. “Early intervention and prevention can prevent the need for high-intensity care later. Out-of-home placements like foster care or residential care are essential when needed, but families benefit most when the full continuum of care is robust and accessible from the start.”
The Hennepin County Youth Stabilization Center aims to fill these gaps and provide critical, timely support for children facing mental health crises.
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