What to do in a mental health emergency
If your child is experiencing a mental health emergency or at imminent risk of harm, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for a mental health evaluation. See our mental health emergency care page for more information on what to expect when seeking care for mental health in a Children’s Minnesota emergency room.Inpatient Mental Health Program
We offer our inpatient mental health unit at Children’s Minnesota – St. Paul hospital to meet emergent mental health needs for children and teens ages 6 to 17 (18-year-olds may be considered case-by-case). The unit provides short-term stabilization for children in crisis, with an average stay of 3–7 days.
Our inpatient mental health specialists partner with families to assess each child’s needs, start or continue treatment, create a safety plan, and arrange aftercare for ongoing support. This specially designed unit is one of the few in the country that allows a parent or guardian to stay overnight and among the few in Minnesota equipped to admit kids with stable but complex medical conditions.
What to expect
Upon admission, a registered nurse will review more detailed information about our unit with you and your child. Your child will have an assigned psychotherapist and psychiatrist that will meet with them throughout their stay. The treatment team will meet with your child and reach out to you within 24 hours of admission to start their treatment plan.
Components of treatment
- Medication management
- Individual, group and family psychotherapy
- Discharge planning
- Milieu Therapy
- Expressive therapies such as art, music and recreation therapy
- Depending on your child’s needs, additional services such as occupational therapy may also be provided
Specialized care in a compassionate environment
- Design focused on natural light and calming sensory-friendly spaces
- 22 large private rooms that allow a parent or guardian to stay overnight with their child
- Care for kids as young as 6 years old and up to 18 years old and still in high school
Take a virtual tour of our inpatient mental health unit
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
You can read our full mental health unit welcome packet here.
What is milieu therapy?
The term “milieu” is a term used to describe the physical and social environment on the unit. Milieu therapy is an intervention which uses the structure of the environment to promote healing and recovery. Symptoms such as isolation and withdrawal are common in mental illnesses, and milieu therapy is a technique used to disrupt the cycle of these symptoms. Milieu therapy on our unit also includes group programming throughout the day. This programming provides structure and helps patients develop coping skills to manage their mental health symptoms.
How much contact will my child have with other children on the unit? Will they all be the same age as my child?
Your child will be assigned a group and the patients in that group will attend programming together throughout the day. Staff are present and provide supervision to patients during groups as well as in common areas. Your child will not be in a room with other patients without at least one staff present. Although we consider each patient’s age, therapeutic needs and developmental functioning in determining which group they are assigned, we often have various ages of patients present on the unit. Our staff do their best to tailor group programming and materials to meet the needs of all patients in each group.
How often am I expected to be present?
While there is no set amount of time that we expect parents to be physically present or available while their child is hospitalized, it is important that we partner with families when caring for their child. Expect regular phone calls during your child’s stay to get more information from you, input and consent on their treatment plan as well as to discuss discharge planning. Family therapy is another important component of the treatment process.
Understanding diabetes
Understanding insulin
Learn about hypoglycemia
Ketones and sick day management
Resources and additional information for insulin users
Who should be present for family therapy sessions?
Ideally, the child’s primary adult caregivers are present for family therapy. We offer family therapy in-person or virtually. If the child lives in multiple households, ideally one caregiver from each household would be present so that they are able to participate in the safety plan. In most situations, we do not recommend including siblings or extended family members that are not providing day-to-day care for the patient. If you have questions, a psychotherapist can discuss the plan for family therapy with you further on your child’s first day.
Pump ordering process
What is pump therapy
Parts of a pump
Insulin dosing on pump therapy
Preventing and treating ketones on a pump
All about diabetes tech
Tandem insulin pump
Omnipod insulin pump
Medtronic insulin pump
Are cell phones, laptop or other electronic devices allowed in the inpatient mental health unit?
Cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices are not allowed in the unit in order to protect the privacy of all patients. Visitor and patient devices will be stored safely for you while on the unit.
What are the expectations for guardians and visitors?
Parents/legal guardians may visit at any time. One parent/legal guardian can stay overnight. Parents/legal guardians need to sign a visitor contract and follow the policy of items allowed on the unit and must stay in the child’s room during the entire visit.
Other visitors may visit during scheduled visiting hours. Standard visiting hours are daily from Noon-1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.
- Visitors include any caregiver or extended family member (18+). Siblings under 18-years-old cannot visit unless approved by your treatment team. Please arrange childcare for other children
- Any visitor must be approved by a parent/legal guardian and treatment team
- Only three visitors per patient are allowed on the unit at any time (including a parent/legal guardian rooming-in)
- Standard visitation rules and hours may be limited by the hospital without notice
What if I can’t visit during mealtimes when my child is not in group sessions?
We understand that many families have other obligations such as work or other children that they need to care for. If you are unable to be present during mealtimes, please let someone from your child’s treatment team know and we will work with you on a plan to ensure that your child gets the necessary components of their treatment as well as quality time with you.
Why can’t I watch my child while they are in group sessions?
We cannot allow any visitors to watch group sessions or any other treatment due to privacy. We want to create a safe and engaging atmosphere for all patients and having an audience for group sessions compromises that. Instead, we encourage you to ask your child to share with you what they are learning and what activities they are doing in group sessions. This sends a message to your child that you care about what they are learning and that it is important. Having them share with you may also help them to better understand and retain the information.
How often are patients being checked on?
Someone will check on your child around-the-clock. We check on our patients at least every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, even if a guardian is in the room. These regular check-ups are conducted to ensure the safety and well-being of all patients.
What is the rooming-in agreement I have to sign? What happens if I do not follow these rules while on the unit?
The Legal Guardian Rooming-in Agreement is important to keep the unit safe. Every part of this agreement has been determined by state or regulatory policies as well as organizational policies and procedures. As a parent/legal guardian rooming-in, you will be required to sign and follow the expectations in the agreement in order to stay with your child. If you decline to sign, we will ask you to leave. If at any point during your stay the care team determines this agreement is not being followed, we will ask you to leave the facility. The treatment team will determine when and if return is appropriate. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about the agreement.
What items can I bring into the unit?
Items you may bring into the unit are limited. Many common items can be a risk to the safety of your child, other children and staff. Refer to your welcome packet for the full list of items.
Why are there so many rules about what I can bring on the unit? I have important items that I want to bring my child to help them feel more comfortable.
We do our best to balance having a safe and comfortable atmosphere for all of our patients and families. In an acute crisis stabilization setting, there are many items that have too much potential risk to the safety of your child, other children and staff. We respect that you know your child’s needs and comfort items the best, and we encourage you to share that information with us. We will do our very best to develop alternative plans that still meet our safety requirements and protocols.
What happens when a patient escalates?
Sometimes patients escalate, and we are prepared. If your child begins to struggle in ways that may harm themselves or others, our team is highly trained to keep them safe. We may ask you to step away, we may need to give them medicine quickly, or we may need to place them in a safe chair or room. Rest assured we are doing everything for their wellbeing. Please see our welcome packet for more information.
