Halfway Through Summer – What’s New at Change Inc.

GAP School
Summer School is in full swing, offering a mix of ESL classes, career and college readiness trainings, arts, and recreation.
 
Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education, free breakfasts and lunches are being provided at GAP School through July 26th to all youth 18 and younger.
 
After being completed this spring, the first of four houses on East Page Street is on the market. Plans are in place this summer to lay the foundation for the next house on the lot. 
 
Community & School Collaborative
School-Based Mental Health Practitioners and Professionals and Community Cultural Specialists continue to provide services and supports throughout the summer months at schools across Minneapolis and St. Paul. 
 
Hennepin County has approached Change Inc. to become a provider of Family Response services (responding to crisis calls 7:00am-11:00pm, 7 days/week) in addition to the Stabilization services we are currently providing. This includes 8 weeks of support for youth and families after Family Response. Change Inc. would be focused on Minneapolis and the Northern Suburbs and would utilize school-based connections. This service will most likely start late fall.
 
Another new project is Shelter-Based Mental Health Services – Change Inc. just finalized a contract with Project Home in St. Paul to provide on-site mental health services for children and families who are residents at the shelter.
 
Change Inc.’s therapist intern program is full (12 interns) for the 2023-24 school year! Each intern receives a $10,000 stipend.
 
The Change Clinic website is completed and is already bringing in many positive comments and referrals. Check out the new site here: www.thechangeclinic.org 
 
Change Institute
We have a number of exciting projects that we are developing or implementing. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has asked Change Inc. to provide trainings in Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) for children’s mental health providers, develop print and video materials promoting wellness, and do a rigorous evaluation that could be used to gain more funding from the state legislature for this work.
 
Change Institute is offering two prep courses a month for the Minnesota LMFT Ethics Exam, every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 6-8PM. Based off Bruce Minor’s teaching, Change Inc. is proud to continue the exam study workshop that has been around since licensure began.
 
 
Happy Summer,
Jody Nelson, Ed.D., LMFT
Executive Director

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