Greater Minnesota Family Services was founded with the goal of working together with the family and county agencies, to create a coordinated and effective service for families. Most of the families we serve have one or two children that are at risk of out-of-home placement. We strongly believe that the family is the best place to resolve parent/child issues. By working with the family’s strengths and by being available when a family crisis arises - day or night - the family based staff can support the family, and help identify options and resources to maintain the family circle. Often children are placed out of the home, not because families are unwilling to change, but because community resources have not had the time or intensity of services to help the children have successful experiences in their homes and communities. Greater Minnesota believes that if out-of-home placement becomes necessary due to neglect or abuse issues, it is understood that the local county social service agency/staff will initiate placements. Our staff will not suggest or initiate placement with the family; that will be handled entirely by social service staff.

OUR SERVICES FOCUS ON…

• Family Health and Unity

• Parent/Child/Adolescent conflict

• Working with and coordinating services of other agencies involved with the family

• Common Areas of Practice include issues such as:
- Emotional Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Social Functioning
- Physical Abuse
- Neglect
- Parenting
- Partner Issues
- Chemical Use
- School Performance

• Prevention and reunification of children who are returning from out-of-home placements

OUR PROGRAM OPTIONS:

• Family Based Counselors: Provide individual, family, and group counseling to prevent out-of-home placement and/or reunification services (aka, Life Skills).

• Family Based Therapists/Qualified Mental Health Professionals: Provide diagnostic assessments, individual and family therapy, and clinical supervision of GMFS staff who provide clinical/case management services.

• Home and Community Based Services: Youth involved with Community Corrections. Focus on Intervention, Individual Counseling, Family Counseling and Service Learning Groups.

• Shelter Care: A 13 bed home that provides crisis, shelter and respite care for youth at a crucial time in their lives. Youth are involved in individual and group therapy. Shelter Care has a two level system to improve social, emotional and behavioral outcomes.
- Title I-V E eligible
- Placement can be from 1 day to 90 days.
- Truancy reduction placement
- Child Mental Health Diagnostic Assessments, Testing and Family Assessments are available.

• School Mental Health: Mental Health Counselors provide individual and group counseling in schools through out Minnesota.

• School Day Treatement Programs: Mental Health services for youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Programming includes individual and group counseling. Education staff provide academic services. Third party revenues are billed at all sites.

• Connections Program: A corporate foster care program serving youth with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) with intensive mental health programming and after-care.

• Early Childhood Services Program: Focuses on the mental health needs of children ages 0-5 (and their families) in Head Start centers and other sites.

Administrative Contacts:

Synova Nelson, Coordinator, School Mental Health Program snelson@greaterminnesota.org
Jaci Finneman, Coordinator, Family Based Program jfinneman@greaterminnesota.org
Dayna Latham, Coordinator, Early Childhood Program dlatham@greaterminnesota.org
Human Resources - employment@greaterminnesota.org