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Ann鈥檚 three young boys had been through a lot already. Her marriage to their father was marked by violence, and a divorce was followed by multiple violations of a protective order, she said. While their father sat in prison in North Dakota, she moved the family to the Twin Cities.

But while the move gave them distance, it didn鈥檛 solve their problems, said Ann, who asked to be identified by her middle name to protect her children鈥檚 privacy. Her sons, especially the two youngest, suffered mental health issues including , and anxiety. Her middle son was diagnosed with , characterized by angry and sometimes violent outbursts.

鈥淚 had 13 police calls within a nine-month period to my house,鈥� Ann said. When a police officer handed her a domestic violence information card, she knew things had to change.

Ann鈥檚 middle son had been enrolled in public school in a suburb of St. Paul, but after being removed from his mainstream classroom due to his behaviors, he wasn鈥檛 receiving the support he needed academically or emotionally.

A social worker told her about , located in Minneapolis Public Schools鈥� Wilder Complex and offering intensive supports to children in grades K-8 struggling with mental illness. Despite her nerves, Ann scheduled a visit. In one of her first interactions, an intake person said, 鈥溾�楤ecause you鈥檙e here looking for help, you鈥檙e more advanced than most adults,鈥欌�� Ann recalled. 鈥淚 knew at that moment we were in the right place.鈥�

A trauma-informed approach for kids

Jessica Dreischmeier, Catholic Charities Children鈥檚 Day Treatment Program director, said that her program is a good match for children like Ann鈥檚 sons. Staff not only understand the impact that early childhood trauma can have on mental health, but the program鈥檚 approach helps them make progress with kids deemed unfixable by other schools.

鈥淚 would say a majority of the youth that come here for treatment have experienced some type of trauma,鈥� Dreischmeier said. 鈥淲e know that those symptoms can manifest themselves in a number of ways, including depression, aggression, anxiety, ADHD 鈥斅燼nd we have deep experience working with those kinds of kids.鈥�

With the right approach, she said, most kids can recover from mental illness.

鈥淥ne day might be hard, but over time we get there with pretty much everybody 鈥斅爓hich is awesome.鈥�

A long and loyal legacy

Catholic Charities Children鈥檚 Day Treatment was founded in 1968 as an extension of , founded in 1869 as a residential shelter for orphans. The day treatment program was created to provide an alternative option for children at St. Joseph鈥檚 who needed extra mental health support.

St. Joseph鈥檚 Home closed in 2020, but the day treatment program continued. Enrollment is capped at 40 students who work with 17 full-time staff members. Students come from around the metro area but enroll in through a partnership with the district. Mental health services are billed through health insurance.

Many staff members have worked at the center for decades. Karen Johnson, a mental health practitioner who has been employed by the program for 24 years, said she feels a deep connection to the children in her care.

鈥淚 should have retired five years ago,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淓ach time I have that thought, another kid comes through the door, and聽 I鈥檓 like, 鈥楴ow I have to stay until they finish the program.鈥� Then another kid comes.鈥�

A focus on parent connection and long-term success for kids

According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, there are . Still, Dreischmeier said that Catholic Charities鈥� program remains in high demand.

鈥淭he need for mental health services for youth and children in Minnesota has been going up for a while,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut especially after Covid, it鈥檚 particularly evident.鈥�

A typical day for students includes two three-hour blocks 鈥� one for academics and the other for mental health therapy and treatment.

Mental health support is delivered in individual and group settings with a focus on parent and guardian involvement, Dreischmeier said. Families are taught how to build strong connections with their child and to reinforce strategies they鈥檙e practicing at school.

The kids work on setting goals for their life beyond the program. While students鈥� individual goals look different, the overall aim is a return to home life and a less restrictive school setting. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping our intervention helps kids stay in their home and with their family and not have an out-of-home placement,鈥� Dreischmeier said.

鈥榃e鈥檙e not going to leave anybody behind.鈥�

For parents like Ann, the transition to day treatment often comes amid deep distrust of past educational settings. Families arrive feeling guarded, Dreischmeier said. They wonder: 鈥溾�楢re you going to perceive my child as a problem?鈥� 鈥榃ill you only see them for the behaviors they are having when they are having a hard time, or will you see my whole child?鈥欌��

The kids often wonder the same thing, Johnson said. 鈥淎 lot of these kids come here with no hope. They think, 鈥楶eople say I鈥檓 bad so I鈥檓 never going to be nothing.鈥� I try to change that narrative.鈥�

Dreischmeier said that her staff remains undaunted even by the students鈥� most challenging behaviors.

鈥淚f something is hard, we鈥檙e going to all come together and work on it and talk about it,鈥� she said. We鈥檙e going to move forward all together. We鈥檙e not going to leave anybody behind.鈥�

Academically, the aim is not just to keep students on track, but to move them ahead. In traditional school settings with larger class sizes and fewer supports, children with serious mental health issues are often separated from their peers and fall behind.

Dreischmeier said things are run differently at Children鈥檚 Day Treatment, where the ratio of adults to students is much higher 鈥� often three adults to every six or seven students. 鈥淪tudents are really able to focus in and learn,鈥� she said.

On average, students participate in the program for a year to a year and a half, Dreischmeier said. Most then move back to their local community school. Some are recommended for further services, including residential and outpatient mental health programs.

Surprised by hope

After two years at Children鈥檚 Day Treatment, Ann鈥檚 middle son graduated聽 last year. Though he struggled in the beginning, she said, he eventually settled in and found success.

鈥淗is graduation was the most incredible thing,鈥� Ann recalled. 鈥淪taff said he鈥檇 emerged as a leader. We did not know that about my son. To hear his peers get up and give their testimonies about him 鈥� there was not a dry eye in the room.鈥�

Today, he鈥檚 enrolled at a school in her home district 鈥� something she never thought possible 鈥� where he continues to receive special education support. Ann鈥檚 youngest son enrolled at Children鈥檚 Day Treatment in the fall. She鈥檚 optimistic: 鈥淚鈥檓 just grateful for people like them who want to help children like mine.鈥�

This first appeared on and is republished here under a .

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