A Letter from Jill...
Hello!
In the 2023-24 program year, our organizational theme was Stronger Together! We used this theme to bring our staff together through continued growth and uncertainties.
Over the past 10 years, Change Inc. has expanded from serving 200 participants to 1,500 children, youth, young adults and their families annually. The need for our services continues to increase, and Change Inc. is committed to supporting the educational, economic, and mental health of those facing the greatest barriers.
While we continue experiencing growth as an organization, it has taken an enormous amount of hustle to sustain expanded programming in response to the COVID pandemic. This included generating new sources of revenue to cover over $1 million of COVID relief funding ending on June 30, 2024. We forecasted the sunsetting of this funding in early FY24 and worked for many months to sustain our programming. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our staff, we will be expanding services overall for 2024-25.
In addition to this work, Jody Nelson exited the Executive Director role in May 2024 with the Board of Directors naming me as her successor. While this transition was well planned and intentional, it is more turbulence for the organization to navigate. Jody and I look forward to completing the transition plan throughout the next year.
Join us as we reflect on a very busy year. And remember to “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu.
Thank you for your support during the year!
Best,
Jill Johnson, M.A.
Executive Director
Change Inc.'s Year in Numbers
2023-24 Program Highlights
Supporting Workforce Development
Change Inc. has participated in the Cultural and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Grant (CEMIG) project through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) since 2008. This community of providers works to expand Minnesotan’s access to culturally specific, trauma-informed mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Additionally in 2023, Change Inc., became part of DHS’s Cultural and Linguistic Appropriate Services initiative, allowing us to deepen and expand our practices related to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging. Weaving together these and other resources, this year Change Institute reduced barriers to professional development for 90 emerging mental health professionals from cultural or ethnic minorities communities through clinical supervision, training, testing and licensure fee reimbursement, and other supports.
Inspiring Co-Op and Clinic Growth
Prior to the merger between Guadalupe Alternative Programs and Change Inc., the old Change Inc. was home to a small outpatient mental health clinic that hosted therapists, often with many work commitments, as independent contractors. One of these wonderful clinicians was Sue Schroeder. Sue was a long-time nurse who became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist later in life. The old Change Inc. clinic provided Sue with the opportunity to continue her nursing career while investing in herself as a therapist. Sue’s story inspired Change Inc.’s leadership team to expand on this idea. After the merger in 2019, we launched our Clinic Co-op, a win-win for clinicians wanting access to the resources of the Change Clinic while maintaining the flexibility and independence that comes with freelancing. The idea stuck and today, the clinic team includes a diverse cadre of mental health providers who serve clients as Clinic Co-op members. Find more information about the Clinic Co-op at www.thechangeclinic.org.
Tyler Office Space
In April of 2022, Change Inc. expanded our office space in Northeast Minneapolis from 2,000 to 10,000 square feet. Since then, our new space at 1209 Tyler Street NE has been a hub of activity! This location, known as ‘Tyler’ to our team, hosts our outpatient mental health clinic, Change Institute training space, multiple conference rooms, a group room, open-seating desks, private offices, and a third-floor bonus space with a rooftop terrace. This location is home to Change Clinic, Change Institute, our administrative team, and our growing number of Community Solutions team members. In the past year, the Tyler space has hosted trainings for our newest program, Alianza, as well as in-person trainings for therapists and other service providers through the Change Institute. The Community & School Collaborative hosted the Littles Weekend Wonders event in the space: our therapists spent time interacting with both children and their caregivers, highlighting how play impacts a child's development and child-adult relationship. Another important project based in the space was the Community Leadership Academy (CLA). The CLA is a 12-week, 135-hour, paid internship experience for BIPOC young adults 18 to 24 years old who are interested in becoming positive role models in their own communities, including progressing in their education, learning success skills, exploring careers in community building, and gaining cultural self-knowledge. Most recently, our space was selected to host the 2024 YouthBuild Leadership Fellows Convening. Nearly 20 fellows travelled from across the globe to gather for workshops, site visits, and discussions centered around racial healing. We are so happy to have hosted so many communities of people in our space for important work. It is a place where anyone can gather and witness that relationships are the key to change!
Partnership Spotlight: Osseo Schools
Change Inc. and the Osseo Area Schools district began their partnership in the 2022-23 school year with our school-based mental health therapists serving three middle schools. This partnership expanded in the 2023-24 school year to include a total of five schools with a plan for continued expansion in 2024-25. One of our team members, Kevin Savela, has been welcomed into the Osseo Schools community. Kevin was hired by Change Inc. in February 2022 and started providing services a couple of days per week at Osseo Middle School. In the 2023-24 school year, the school team declared May 3rd at National Kevin Day where he was recognized for his contributions that support a positive school climate. We look forward to building on this new relationship!
2024 YouthBuild Graduates
GAP School is home to the YouthBuild St. Paul West Side program. While enrolled in YouthBuild, participants engage in education, leadership, community service, and training that leads to employment. Of GAP School's 2024 Graduates, 100% of students completed their high school diploma and, 83% earned an industry-recognized credential and/or certificate. Additionally, 72% of the graduating class were employed at the time of graduation earning an average of $18.63 per hour. “YouthBuild means a lot for me. I didn’t have a beginning when I arrived in America, but they helped me to build a good foundation. They helped me find a job, get my driver’s license, and pass my CNA certification. YouthBuild does a good job of supporting and pushing youth towards a better future.” -Lumona Ramazani, YB St. Paul West Side and GAP School Graduate
Reinvestment in the Youth Leadership Board
GAP School is dedicated to creating an environment where students are empowered to lead, collaborate, and grow both academically and personally. Last school year, we took special care to reinvest in our Youth Leadership Board. Three GAP School staff led the Board of 15 students over the school year, making great progress in nurturing the development of young leaders at school. Staff received Youth Leadership in Action© training and the student Board members gained experience in enhancing their leadership skills by planning school events, partnering with staff to gather student feedback on programming, and taking part in developing school policies and service projects. The Board played a crucial role in building a more enriching, supportive, and engaging experience for all students at GAP School during the year. Thank you to Sarah Poirier, Shoua Cha and Rachel Studley for elevating youth voice at GAP School!
Alianza
Alianza is Change Inc.’s new program dedicated to supporting comprehensive child development in the Latine community. In collaboration with family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) childcare providers across Minnesota, Alianza partners with state-wide initiatives including Department of Human Services FFN and the Department of Health Follow Along Program to provide access to important resources and trainings. These include health and nutrition guidance, early childhood education support, school enrollment, legal advice, reflective consultation, and technology access to aid children’s growth and readiness for school. Alianza’s team grew to include four staff members who supported 61 FFN childcare providers in the 2023-24 program year. We look forward to supporting this program next year through continued growth.
2024 Changemakers Luncheon
Change Inc. held its second annual spring luncheon on April 25th at the St. Paul Event Center. At this year’s Changemakers Luncheon we gathered to celebrate the work of Change Inc., develop meaningful relationships, and, of course, raise funds for our important programming.
