Change Clinic Expands, Bringing In-Demand Mental Health Services to Northeast Community and Beyond10/10/2022  The Change Clinic is a key project of the Community & School Collaborative. Change Clinic provides therapies leading to healing and growth for children, youth, adults, couples and families who may be facing challenges related to transition, traumatic experiences, and other barriers to living life to the fullest. A culturally and linguistically diverse team of clinicians provide services at Change Clinic. Collectively, they are trained in a wide range of therapeutic techniques and approaches, and many specialize in specific challenges or populations. As Change Clinic was rapidly growing, we began searching for a larger space in order to provide services for more clients, as well as host office space for our administrative staff. When a space opened up just a few doors down from our current location in Northeast Minneapolis, the leaders at Change Inc. decided to make the move. In April 2022, the newly relocated Change Clinic re-opened its’ doors to the community. The new location came at a time when the community was truly in need of its’ expanded services. Wait lists for mental health providers and treatment were months long and community members needed another option. Fortunately, Change Clinic’s growing roster of clinicians and therapists were able to provide for these needs. The new clinic and office space boasts five private therapy rooms, one play therapy room, a large training space, multiple conference rooms, a group room, open-seating desks for admin staff, private offices, and a third-floor bonus space with a rooftop terrace. Many spaces are even available to community groups and programs to rent out for an hourly rate. Before the Change Clinic, Change Inc. was home to a small outpatient clinic, usually referred to internally as the “clinic project.” To support this expansion, Change Clinic now has a manager, Ana Lewis. Stepping into the position of Clinic Manager in July of 2021, her role’s objectives include recruiting clinicians and clients and growing the clinic in an intentional way to best support healing and growth for clients.
So, what brought about the need for an expansion and relocation of Change Clinic? While it was always in the plans to expand mental health services to the community, there had been other programs within Change Inc. that needed to get up and running and stabilized. However, as COVID took over the world, there was suddenly a large need for more mental health support in the community. Many mental health clinics and agencies nearby had, and still have, waiting lists ranging from six weeks to six months. Change Clinic was able to put its’ services into high gear by recruiting many new clinicians, and in turn, many new clients. Currently, Change Clinic clinicians are serving 342 clients, and is continuing to add clinicians to meet the community’s need for mental health services. Serving All Communities A goal of Change Clinic is to remove barriers to care, and language is top of mind. Change Clinic prioritizes hiring clinicians who are fluent in languages other than English, which allows us to serve clients in a culturally reflective way. Change Inc. heavily invests in the professional development of its’ staff. Therapists at Change Clinic have the opportunity to take part in different trainings which expands our range of services and expands to whom we can offer them to. Many clinicians have specialties and trainings in particular areas that are in high demand. For example, many clinicians staffed at Change Inc. and through the Co-op are trained in IFS (Internal Family Systems). Another way clinicians get in front of different audiences is by being trained in different modalities that people are searching for online including EMDR, CBT, and Brainspotting, among others. Once a clinician is trained in a specialty such as those previously mentioned, they have the opportunity to put themselves on a “contact list” for clinicians that have that specific training. This can further Change Clinic’s reach and can expand services to more people in the community. Along with expanding who we offer services to, Change Clinic has also been working to increase the range of services offered. The main forms of therapy include talk therapy and play therapy. In addition to building up our outpatient program, Change Clinic is also building up our DC: 0-5 program, which is therapy for children under the age of five. Specific modalities offered via clinicians at Change Clinic include trauma-informed, TF-CBT, IFS, Brainspotting, and EMDR for individuals, couples, and families. Removing barriers to mental health services is the greatest need Change Clinic hopes to help solve. This means quicker access to service for community members, and for some people, simply having access to service at all. We are excited to continue growing and help fill the need for mental support. To find more information about Change Clinic or to inquire about services, visit https://www.thechangeinc.org/csc.
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Since its’ inception in 1993, Change Inc. has invested in community solutions to systemic problems and the development of a diverse workforce to heal trauma of children and families. This remains core to our work and lives today, post-merger, in our Change Institute. The Change Institute brings healing, teaching, and advocacy together to look at influencing systems change and approaching sustainability. In addition, Change Institute works to prepare and support caring adults within our community to best meet mental health needs for children, adults, families, and communities. Inside the Institute: Change Inc.’s mission is focused on utilizing the power of relationships and community to create educational, training, and healing opportunities for people so that they can achieve their highest ambitions. With the support of the Change Institute, Change Inc. can provide courses throughout the year to students, interns, therapists, teachers, and others to help them grow their knowledge and understanding of mental health and social cultural concerns. The Change Institute fits into Change Inc.’s overall mission by providing trainings on-site and in the community for therapists, teachers, and other service providers, focusing on social emotional and mental health. Additionally, Change Institute works with employees and contractors to provide clinical supervision and case consultation hours to move towards licensure. One of Change Institute’s main goals is to remove barriers to the path of a career in mental health for those in our community. Someone who knows all about the road to becoming a mental health professional is Nick Krause. Nick is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Change Institute’s Training Coordinator. Together, he and Jennifer Garrido Santos, Director of Training, Supervision, and Consultation, work to create and facilitate all of the trainings and coordinate with other trainers to decide not only how they want to train Change Inc.’s staff, but also what trainings to provide to outside agencies and students. Trainings: In keeping with the mission of Change Inc., it is important to provide the community with culturally sensitive support, education, and knowledge, as well as support BIPOC and LGBTQ+ therapists. Change Institute provides various scholarship opportunities to members of these communities to be able to help lift barriers from education and trainings. This aims to help produce more diverse therapists which, in turn, can provide more diverse services to different communities. The Change Institute provides many culturally-specific trainings as well, such as the “From Race to Culture” supervision course, slated to take place in 2023. This is a course specific to the cultural component of being a supervisor. While many of Change Institute’s trainings are geared towards LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists), it also aims to expand its’ audience to LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors) and LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers). It is the Change Institute’s intention to provide trainings for everyone in the mental health field, not just one branch of the field. Change Institute has been facilitating the Clinical Supervision course for close to a decade. However, in the last three years has there been a bigger push to be more intentional in the trainings they provide to hopefully have not only a place in the world of mental health, but possibly one day in academia to help advance the field of therapy. Other courses are normally offered monthly on a variety of subjects ranging from suicide prevention to eating disorders to the relational diagnostic assessment. Change Inc. lends staff member expertise to multiple community initiatives where they are not the host or ‘owner’ of the group, but provide a key role as advisor or developer. While these projects take on many different shapes, they are core to our value and core foundation of living in community. The Change Institute also holds space for new ideas to develop into a plan. This allows room for innovations in programming, service design, outcome measurements, and impact. At any given point in time, there may be zero or 10 projects living in this space. Many of the upcoming courses being offered are geared towards therapists, whether that be internally within Change Inc., or external therapists and students. However, the goal is to broaden the audiences that can benefit from the trainings and courses provided by Change Institute. Future targeted audiences include teachers, mental health staff at other agencies, parent and parent psychoeducation groups, and community psychoeducation events. Change Institute hopes to one day work with a variety of different communities and provide trainings for what those specific communities’ needs are. There’s something that sets Change Institute apart from other educational offerings, and that would be its’ intentionality. Change Institute does not operate to make financial gain, rather, it cares deeply about its’ community and who is practicing mental health in the city and state as a whole. Change Institute wants to make sure therapists are providing the best care and that people outside of the therapy community are educated on mental health and social cultural concerns. It is driven by a mission and a worldview that it wants to share with the world and there is a targeted focus to make sure the community is provided with the best care possible. The overarching goals of the educational opportunities offered are to remove barriers for those preparing to become therapists, teachers, and educators and to give them the tools they need to provide direct services to the community. There are so many great educators and providers out in the world working hard to do their job well, and Change Institute aims to make that easier for them. Whether that’s in terms of licensing or education requirements, paperwork, or other obstacles — Change Institute wants to remove these barriers. It also aims to make sure that there are ethical and culturally competent therapists working in our communities. If Change Institute can provide support and training to benefit these providers, then they will have succeeded. Change Institute would not exist without all of the hard work done by Change Inc. before it. While the Change Institute on its’ own is still very much in its’ infancy, it is hoped that one day it can grow to be a well-known institution that provides support and removes barriers to education in its’ community. Upcoming trainings: The Bridge Builders MFT National Exam Study Workshop started October 1st and will run virtually on Saturdays through October 22nd. This workshop will be hosted by Ana Lewis (M.A., LMFT, State Approved Supervisor), David Hesse (M.A., LMFT, State Approved Supervisor), Jennifer Garrido Santos (M.A., LMFT, LICSW, State Approved Supervisor), Jody Nelson (Ed.D., LMFT, State Approved Supervisor) and Sue Schroeder (M.A., LMFT). This class is based on the work of Mark Anderson and his Bridge Builders classes. The workshop will address how the exam is written, ethical and social-cultural factors related to the exam, and how to study for the exam. With registration, participants will also receive a digital binder filled with everything they need to know for the exam, including all theoretical models and their theorists. This study workshop is LMFT-specific. The Change Institute, in partnership with Relationships LLC. and Both/And Resources, is also hosting a Clinical Supervision Course running virtually on Mondays from October 10th through December 5th. This course will be facilitated by Bruce Minor (M.A., LMFT), Jennifer Garrido Santos (M.A., LMFT, LICSW), Jody Nelson (Ed.D., LMFT), Joe Reid (Ph.D., LMFT, and Lisa Xiong (M.A., LMFT). Topics will include ethics in supervision, supervision in diverse communities, power and privilege in supervision, self-of-the therapist/supervisor, awareness of relational patterns, and solution-focused problem-solving. The Clinical Supervision Course is open to LMFT, LPCC, and LICSW.  New Paid Internship Opportunity for BIPOC Young Adults: Community Leadership Development Training9/22/2022  What is Rites of Passage? Rites of Passage is a program designed to develop youth and young adults to become leaders in the Black community. To look to the future, participants need to understand the past. Therefore, the 11-week curriculum is centered on research into African people, traditions and rituals since ancient times. The Rites of Passage was developed by the Cultural Wellness Center, an organization that uses culture to improve public health and develop culturally based solutions to systemic barriers created by racism and poverty. “In order for Black men to move ahead and become leaders—to become the backbone of their community—they need to recover the culturally grounded manhood that was lost during enslavement,” said Elder Atum Azzahir, executive director of the Cultural Wellness Center. “Black male culture has become reactionary to life experiences under the dominant system, instead of one grounded in our cultural practices.” Throughout the past five years, many Change Inc. leaders have gone through the Rites of Passage program. Through Change Inc.’s partnership with the Cultural Wellness Center, our Director of Community Solutions, Corey Byrd, has completed a train-the-trainer session of the program under Minkara Tezet from the Cultural Wellness Center and can now co-facilitate the Rites of Passage program for Change Inc. staff and participants. Most recently, Corey and Minkara co-facilitated the Rites of Passage program for all Change Inc. Crossroads staff members. Here are excerpts of a recent interview between Change Inc. Communication Specialist, Katie Cudnowski, with Corey as he reflects about this experience and his own Rites of Passage journey. KC: What is the significance of Rites of Passage? CB: Rites of Passage is a cultural African American plight, a passage that that is utilized by those taking part. In the program, participants journey down the passage to take a deep look at the African American culture and go back to the times of slavery and talk about what took place from slavery up until today. They then attempt to understand who they are as a people prior to slavery. Together, Rites of Passage participants and I identify the problems, the concerns, the issues, the awareness, what they know, and the history of African Americans as a whole. We also look at their relationships with people of different colors and cultures in order to gain understanding of certain situations they’ve gone through. KC: Why does Rites of Passage matter? CB: There’s an old saying, “In order to know where you're going, you have to know where you come from.” It can seem as if the only Black experience an African American person in America has comes from slavery. If we look at a Black person’s experience from a different perspective and as being one culture and being one people, we know their history expands far beyond this. Slavery is the worst thing that ever took place for a black person in America. Through Rites of Passage, African American Black people are able to examine and work through who they are beyond slavery. KC: Why does Rites of Passage matter to staff at Change Inc.? CB: There are a lot of members of the staff at Change Inc. that are people of color. Once participants, which include some members of Change Inc.’s staff, go through the Rites of Passage they will be able to learn if and where the Native Americans or Latino Americans come in as part of the African American plight. They can learn about different cultures and how they played a part in the story of African Americans. Participants can learn where and how the connection between the White American and the Black American came into contact through slavery. There are two staff who are White that have been involved with Rites of Passage and they have a different perspective on things. These staff have “wow” moments and there is a lot of sadness because our group is talking about actions their White ancestors committed against our Black ancestors. It’s not easy to hear on either end. On another note, my last name is Byrd. I was able to use Rites of Passage to find out that my heritage goes back to Senator Byrd's plantation in Virginia. Sometimes I think about who would I have been if I weren’t Senator Byrd’s property? As a group we think about how people could justify having other people as property, and what the mindset and the psyche of the individuals that held people as property was like. Rites of Passage looks at these questions along with the good, the bad, and the ugly situations between cultures and opens these up for discussion, which is invaluable to our staff. KC: Who is Rites of Passage’s intended audience and why does it matter to them? CB: While the current Rites of Passage program is for African Americans, we have brought in individuals from other cultures so that they can have an awareness and understanding of what Black people have gone through and are going through. It also allows African American individuals to be able to talk about the hurt and the pain and share things that they may not have had the platform with which to share otherwise. Eventually, I hope to put on a Rites of Passage for all cultures. Perhaps one to take Hmong Americans, Native Americans, or Latino Americans down their Rites of Passage culture journey. There could also be one for the Caucasian American because they have a Rites of Passage as well, though very different from other ethnicities.  2019 Rites of Passage Graduates Rites of Passage is more than a gathering of individuals. Rites of Passage is an opportunity to unpack an individual’s entire sense of being. Through the leadership of qualified individuals such as Corey, local African American Black community members recount their ancestry and all of the things that make up who they are today as a people and as an individual. This offers participants the unique chance to connect with their past and learn how to shape the future. If you are interested in joining or learning more about the Rites of Passage program, please contact Corey Byrd at cbyrd@thechangeinc.org. Thank you to the Minneapolis Foundation for supporting two cohorts of the Rites of Passage program in 2022. We look forward to sharing stories of this journey in the future.  Izaiah and Moncies providing a glassblowing demo at the Minnesota State Fair Last fall, students from GAP School were presented with a unique learning opportunity. Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts was offering classes to students as part of Project for Pride in Living's LEAP (Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential) program. These classes would let students experience glass art techniques such as flame throwing, among others.
Five students attended the first class in September to learn about flame and glassblowing which included creating their own marble and straw. Soon after, there was another opportunity from Foci for youth to sign up for a series of workshops at their studio. Two GAP School students applied and were selected to participate, Izaiah Getahun and Moncies Franco. The students attended classes at the studio once a week for a few months. Before the classes ended, Foci invited both students to take part in additional set of classes. The directors and mentors at the school were so impressed with the students that they began searching for funding so their participation could continue. Izaiah’s and Moncies’ hard work and enthusiasm in particular really stood out to the leaders at Foci. Towards the end of the school year, Foci encouraged both students to apply to Expanding Horizons, a hands-on glass arts program hosted by the Corning Museum of Glass in New York over the summer. To apply, a significant amount of class hours would need to be completed. The program was a master level class and would give the opportunity to be mentored by master level glass artists and learn more about how glass museums operate around the world. Grants were secured so that the students could take classes to provide them with the required experience should they be chosen for the program. Moncies continued classes into the spring and was accepted into the program. After a total of 21 classes, Moncies and his mentor from Foci made their way to New York. The two spent time exploring the museum, learning from experts in the field, as well as meeting other aspiring artists and glass blowers. Moncies performed a demo in front of a live audience that was also broadcast live onto screens throughout the museum for visitors to watch. Moncies says he learned a great deal about glass blowing and also about being in the artist field. He dreams of creating his own brand and selling his art one day. These opportunities gave him a glimpse into how to advance his artistry and how to sell his art. He says that he learned that his own experience, talent, time, and skills are important and that he must be careful not to sell himself short. He also learned that having a community around him and networking will be very important going forward. Both Moncies and Izaiah are continuing classes with Foci and look forward to honing their skills and building their confidence in glass work and beyond. They also showcased their skills through demonstrations at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. This opportunity would not have been made possible without the support of our partner, LEAP. Designed to provide employment and educational opportunities to young people facing some of the greatest challenges in adulthood, Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential provides young people with the tools they need to succeed. National and local philanthropies support the initiative, which is partially funded by a grant from the Social Innovation Fund, an agency of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  Hay Dree Yer We are excited to share that 2022 GAP School graduate, Hay Dree Yer, was one of eight students awarded the annual Larry Lucio Scholarship.
Hay Dree is a Karen refugee and was born in Kawthoolei. When he was eight years old, he fled to Thailand because of the Burmese Military invasion. It was necessary to flee to avoid persecution and death because of his ethnicity. When he first moved to Thailand (Mae La Oon Refugee Camp), he started studying at a 4th grade level and eventually completed 12th grade and graduated. After high school, he went to Shalom Arts and Leadership College for one year. He was unable to continue his studies here because he was finally granted his visa to immigrate to the United States. He moved to Iowa in the U.S. in the fall of 2020 and lived there for six months. He then decided to move to Minnesota in order to be closer to family and begin studying at GAP School. He started studying at GAP in April 2021 to secure his American high school diploma with the intention of attending college. Even though he had to overcome many obstacles, especially his fear of speaking in English, he is proud to have graduated with his high school diploma from GAP School on June 9th, 2022. Hay Dree shared that his life in his home country compared to in the U.S. is totally different. In his home country, not everyone has the opportunity to go to school and it’s extremely difficult to get a higher education. In the refugee camp it is illegal to leave and seek work, therefore it is hard to pay for college. Since coming to the U.S., his mind and opinions have been expanded. He sees that there are opportunities available for everyone, and he is grateful for the opportunities available to him. When Hay Dree was living in the refugee camp it was difficult to imagine a future that included a college education. But, he has come to realize that the future is now and that he has the high school diploma, strength, and wisdom to pursue it. Hay Dree is involved in church youth activities such as practicing songs, choirs, and fundraising for IDP (internally displaced people). He also did volunteer work during his time at GAP School, which included tree planting for the city of St. Paul, restoring buildings for Dodge Nature Center, removing invasive plants with Bailey’s Nurseries, and fulfilling AmeriCorps hours though building a green home for low-income families. Hay Dree will be attending Dakota County Technical College this fall. He was a part of GAP School’s construction pathway and plans to pursue a career in architecture. Hay Dree has spent time learning about sustainability and hopes to design green buildings for his community to help protect the environment. He says his ultimate goal is to improve his English and to be able to give back to his community. Congratulations to Hay Dree and the other students awarded the Larry Lucio Scholarship this year! The Larry Lucio Scholarship was established in September of 1997. Larry Lucio is a retired administrator of both the St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools with strong ties to the West Side. Scholarship winners from other local high schools include Amy Alarcon, Oscar Palchizaca, Zoe Riordan, Eh Htee Shu, Htoo Law Moo, Tala Kim, and Antonio Hernandez. In order to apply for the Larry Lucio Scholarship a student must:
Past GAP School Recipients: Cristina Sanchez Ortiz (2014) Maria Ramirez (2012) Sebastion Delgado (2008) Ana Ramirez Reyes (2008) Olga Diaz Lopez (2004) Luis Garcia (2002) Zaira Oronel (2000) Severo Ramirez (2000) Soledad Flores (1999)
On February 15th, Lisa Xiong, M.A., LMFT represented Change Inc. at the Mental Health Legislative Network press conference on children's mental health. Lisa shared how we have seen children increasingly struggling in schools. This is especially true for children from diverse communities as they are impacted even greater by the pandemic. Change Inc. and fellow providers are strained trying to meet the needs of children as wait lists for school-based mental health services grow. We hope that by sharing what we see everyday, we will help inform legislative action to invest in children's mental health across Minnesota.
You can read our full press statement, here. Watch the full press conference below (Lisa begins speaking at 16:13).  The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Minnesota awarded Change Inc. Mental Health Provider of the Year. This award is in recognition of our school-based mental health services, mentoring programs, community clinic, and community outreach programs Change Inc. provides across the Twin Cities.
"They have truly changed the lives of so many students and we thank them for their work,” said NAMI Minnesota board officer Mariah C. Owens. To be recognized by NAMI, such a leader in the field of treatment of mental illness, is quite a boost to the morale of our staff- at a time when our own health and well-being is being challenged by the pandemic and other social, economic, and political crises. Recognition, affirmation, and appreciation can go a long way. We sincerely thank NAMI MN for this recognition. Read more about this award in the news, here. |
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381 East Robie Street, St. Paul, MN 55107 | Phone: 651-222-0757 | Fax: 612-259-7185 | info@thechangeinc.org
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