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.thechangeclinic.org.
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