Kids and families have been through a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help families and give them tips to support their child’s mental health and well-being, we talked with Dr. Sarah Jerstad, clinical director of psychological services at Children’s Minnesota.
The new inpatient center will be the first in the east metro to treat kids under 12 years old and will be able to serve children with other complex medical conditions.
Children’s Minnesota has expanded its acute mental health services with the opening of a partial hospitalization program (PHP) for adolescents. This program was selected due to the significant need for intensive outpatient mental health care in the region to support a growing adolescent population.
Sarah Boman, DNP, PMHNP - Advanced practice provider
Our partial hospitalization program is a structured mental health treatment designed for kids. Children ages 12-18 who are struggling with emotional and behavioral concerns can participate in the intensive outpatient program during weekdays and return home to their families on evenings and weekends. The goal is to improve mental health symptoms and teach skills necessary for improved function at home and school.
Children’s Minnesota is expanding its behavioral health services by offering a new outpatient mental health program for adolescents. Improving access to intensive treatment comes at a critical time as the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the mental health crisis for kids and teens.
Forest Juvland, LICSW, partial hospitalization program therapist at our specialty center in Lakeville, talks about how going back to school may affect children’s mental health.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And, kids have been going through a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. And as summer approaches and it appears we’re returning to some sense of normalcy, it’s important to check in with our kids. Dr. Sarah Jerstad, pediatric psychologist at Children’s Minnesota, is helping parents navigate these upcoming changes.
At Children’s Minnesota, we integrate behavioral health professionals into our primary care clinics so that children get the care they need when they need it most. Integrated behavioral health is available at three of our primary care clinics: Minneapolis, St. Paul and West St. Paul.