Children's Mental Health
Mental Health Services for Children and Youth
All children have both physical health needs and mental health needs. It is sometimes hard for parents to know if a behavior is normal or may be a deeper problem.
Anger, fear, sadness, withdrawal, or opposition to authority are emotions felt and expressed by most children and adolescents. The disturbed child or adolescent displays negative behavior with greater intensity, more often, and with less reason.
Behaviors that may point to deeper problems include:
- Acting out behavior
(self-abusive, aggressive, violent, disruptive, or cruel) - Withdrawing behavior
(fears, depression, anxiety, refusing to talk, acting younger than age) - Defensive behavior
(lying, cheating, manipulating others, avoiding others) - Disorganized behavior
(out of touch with reality, seeing or hearing things that are not there, disconnected thinking or acting) - Eating disorders
(poor body image, preoccupation with weight loss, self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives or diuretics
Comprehensive Services for Children and Families
The "Minnesota Comprehensive Children's Mental Health Act" recognized that children do not always get the services they need. Stearns County Human Services Agency provides case management services to assist eligible children and their families. The case manager will assist in a referral for a diagnostic assessment to determine the child's mental health needs. A team approach is used to coordinate the services provided by all persons who are involved in the care, counseling, education, and treatment of the child.
Parents will be expected to participate in developing a comprehensive plan based on the child's and family's unique strengths and needs. This plan will be reviewed on a regular basis to determine if the goals for the child are being met and if other services are needed.
Case management and family community support services are voluntary, and may be accepted or refused by parents. If these services are refused, other mental health services and community resources continue to be available to the family if desired.
Effective July 1, 2009, children receiving health care through a state-funded health insurance program (Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare) and enrolled in a managed care organization receive mental health services through the managed care organization.
Program Eligibility:
Children or adolescents must be younger than 18 years of age, have a defined emotional or behavioral problem, and meet the criteria for having a severe emotional disturbance as determined by a mental health professional.
Factors which determine eligibility include:
- Severity of mental health needs
- Past inpatient or residential treatment, or risk of needing such treatment in the future
- Risk of child harming self or others
- Symptoms as a result of physical or sexual abuse in the past year
- Effects on the child's functioning in the home, school, and community
For More Information
If you are concerned about the development or mental health of a child and would like more information, contact:
Service Entry Unit
Stearns County Human Services
P.O. Box 1107
St. Cloud, MN 56302
320.656.6225 or 1.800.450.3663
For more information about specific children's mental health disorders, please see the Minnesota Department of Human Services site, which includes links to helpful documents in several languages.
For more information on children's mental health, please visit the following links:
Minnesota Department of Human Services
STARS for Children's Mental Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health
This information is available in other forms to people with disabilities by calling 320.656.6000, 320.656.6204 (TDD), or through the Minnesota Relay Services at 1.800.627.3529 (TTY)