Canvas Health school-based clinicians in Minneapolis Public Schools provided an incredible 159 hours of therapy to students during the recent teacher strike. Canvas Health currently supports eight Minneapolis Public Schools.
Therapy was conducted wherever students were most comfortable – in school buildings, in coffee shops, over Zoom, in homes, and in the community.
“Caring for students’ mental health is vitally important, especially during times of uncertainty. Our therapists joined other mental health supports in Minneapolis to rise to the challenge for their clients, providing a safe place and connection when children really needed it,” said Emily Johnson, MSW, LICSW, school-based mental health supervisor. “We are so grateful for our relationships with teachers and administrators in all of our schools, and for their support of all school mental health services, including the Tier 3 (most intensive) services that Canvas Health therapists offer.”
Johnson explained that therapists facilitated everything from individual and family therapy to doing outreach by bringing school lunches to the homes of clients. One therapist was able to help a young student by walking him to the strike line to say “hi” to his teacher because he was missing her.
Canvas Health provides school-based therapy in 33 schools in five Minnesota districts.
Learn more about Canvas Health’s school-based therapy program.
Make a gift in support of the school-based mental health program here
Canvas Health school-based clinicians in Minneapolis Public Schools provided an incredible 159 hours of therapy to students during the recent teacher strike. Canvas Health currently supports eight Minneapolis Public Schools. Therapy was conducted wherever students were most comfortable – in school buildings, in coffee shops, over Zoom, in homes, and in the community. “Caring for […]
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During this month, Canvas Health will be highlighting the work of our Abuse Response Services program in the community, our clinics, and on social media.
Canvas Health encourages those who have experienced a sexual assault or dating violence to call our 24 hour crisis line at (651) 777-1117. This line is for Washington County residents, but advocates can help others with referrals to additional resources.
“Working in sexual violence advocacy and education can be difficult, but it is incredibly important. I believe that our work is creating social change in the hopes that we can put an end sexual violence. I am grateful that Canvas Health supports Abuse Response Services’ work, including 24-hour telephone crisis response, short-term counseling, 24/7 response to local hospital emergency rooms, support groups, legal advocacy, Safe at Home application assistance and community education,” said Tara Kline, Abuse Response Services Therapist/Supervisor
Kline continued, “Remember, one of the most important things we can for victims/survivors is to believe them!”
Learn more about Abuse Response Services here.
Make a gift to support the work of Abuse Response Services here.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During this month, Canvas Health will be highlighting the work of our Abuse Response Services program in the community, our clinics, and on social media. Canvas Health encourages those who have experienced a sexual assault or dating violence to call our 24 hour crisis line at (651) 777-1117. This […]
When Joel* joined the Partnering for Jobs program, he was unsure about how to incorporate work into his life while receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration. He had a few jobs in the past but was never happy with how they worked out.
The client and Employment Specialist collaborated with VRS to get him a detailed Benefits Analysis. After learning how a future job may impact his benefits, he decided that working a consistent job would be best for him. The Employment Specialist and client applied to many jobs and found success with Afton Alps as a Ski Lift Operator. The client was highly motivated by the benefits that Afton Alps offered; including a free pass to ski for the season. In preparation for Afton Alps, the Employment Specialist, VRS counselor and client worked together to make sure everything lined up with his social security benefits. Joel worked at Afton Alps the winter of 2021 and after a successful season, decided he also wanted to work there the winter of 2022.
Once this season is over, he wants to find a job that is close to his apartment. The VRS counselor is involved in ensuring his potential job options align with his benefits to support his financial needs. Prior to working with the program, his interests were limited. He has since broadened his scope to include working as a cashier, which he said he would have never been comfortable with doing before joining the program. His experience at Afton Alps and working on communication skills with the Employment Specialist gave him the confidence to do a job with a great deal of customer interaction.
Canvas Health’s Partnering for Jobs Individual Placement and Support Services program is dedicated to bringing hope, healing, and recovery by assisting individuals with finding and keeping competitive employment. The program is a collaborative effort between Canvas Health, Lifetrack and Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
Learn more about Partnering for Jobs here.
Canvas Health Client Story When Joel* joined the Partnering for Jobs program, he was unsure about how to incorporate work into his life while receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration. He had a few jobs in the past but was never happy with how they worked out. The client and Employment Specialist collaborated with […]
Canvas Health is pleased to announce its status as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC). This certification was authorized through the Minnesota Department of Human Services on Feb. 4, 2022.
With this certification, Canvas Health will expand on many of the services that it is already providing, serving as a one-stop shop for mental health, substance abuse treatment, and other health care services in the community. The CCBHC model ensures access to 24/7/365 crisis care, ARMHS services, care for military personnel and veterans, care coordination with hospitals, law enforcement, and schools as well as access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), among other capabilities.
“CCBHC gives Canvas Health the financial and operational backing to more fully carry out community mental health care the way it was intended when John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act in 1963. Though Canvas Health has always served our community in the spirit of that Act, which is helping vulnerable individuals and their families receive coordinated care, we will now be in the exciting position of expanding, increasing access, and improving those services,” said Matt Eastwood, Canvas Health CEO.
Canvas Health is now one of 13 CCBHCs in Minnesota, and is authorized to provide CCBHC services to individuals on Medicaid in Anoka, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Scott, and Washington counties.
Canvas Health is currently hiring for multiple positions supporting CCBHC services including an adolescent psychiatrist, adult psychiatrist, ARMHS supervisor, and care coordinator. Those interested in those positions and other clinical positions at Canvas Health are encouraged to apply at CanvasHealth.org/Careers.
Canvas Health is pleased to announce its status as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC). This certification was authorized through the Minnesota Department of Human Services on Feb. 4, 2022. CCBHC Certification With this certification, Canvas Health will expand on many of the services that it is already providing, serving as a one-stop shop […]
The celebration of Black History Month during February each year, offers an opportunity to explore and reflect upon the struggle and impact of Black people on the United States.
Canvas Health’s mission to bring hope, healing, and recovery to the people we serve fits well with Black History Month’s 2022’s theme, “Black Health and Wellness.”
To read about some of the Black leaders who have had profound impact on the mental health field and how the field serves Black people, you can visit the exploration we did last year. We also want to highlight Canvas Health’s understanding of mental illness and its disproportionate impact on Black people as part of our commitment to providing excellent care based on the individuals needs and circumstances of all our clients.
Mental illness is common, affecting one in four Americans. Though the impacts of mental illness on Black Americans in particular are often disproportionate, due to conscious and unconscious societal failings of bias and inequity. Black adults are “20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems, such as Major Depressive Disorder or Generalize Anxiety Disorder (see here).” Black Americans are more likely to be disadvantaged socioeconomically due to cultural and systemic biases.
Canvas Health tries meet these needs by hiring excellent providers, providing ongoing training, collaborative work between care teams and community resources, and through the belief that we always need to continuing learning and improving. If you want to speak with a Canvas Health counselor, you can reach out by message or by phone here.
Visit Mental Health America for a huge list of resources and information about Black mental health history, statistics and other information about mental health in Black communities, mental health resources, and more.
The celebration of Black History Month during February each year, offers an opportunity to explore and reflect upon the struggle and impact of Black people on the United States. Canvas Health’s mission to bring hope, healing, and recovery to the people we serve fits well with Black History Month’s 2022’s theme, “Black Health and Wellness.” […]
The Canvas Health Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Khu Thao, MSW, PsyD, LP, LICSW, as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 28, 2022. Thao will succeed Dr. Matt Eastwood, who will retire after serving as CEO since 2015.
Dr. Thao is a highly respected leader in the mental health care community and is currently the Vice President of Community Mental Health for Touchstone Mental Health in Minneapolis. In that role, she provides executive leadership and oversight of multiple service lines, including case management, behavioral health, residential treatment, and outpatient services. She also has served as Senior Director of Operations at Touchstone. Prior to that, her professional roles have included Clinical Manager at Amherst Wilder Foundation, Clinical Psychologist Fellow at the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, clinician at Washburn Center for Children, and child protection social worker for both Hennepin and Ramsey Counties.
“We are confident that Dr. Thao is the right person to lead Canvas Health at this pivotal time,” said Karna Peters, Canvas Health Board Chair. “As a clinician, she understands and is fully committed to providing excellent care to clients. Additionally, Khu has a proven track record of persistence and results in driving initiatives and being a positive and insightful problem solver. She’s also a respected leader in advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.”
Thao has an Executive Leadership Certification for Nonprofit Management from University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, a Psy.D. from Minnesota School of Professional Psychology, a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, and a BA from Gustavus Adolphus College. She is a recipient of the prestigious Bush Fellowship and a Title VI-E Welfare Fellowship.
“I am thrilled and honored at the opportunity to lead Canvas Health,” said Thao. “The agency is in a position of growth and is poised to build on its rich history of providing excellent clinical care to those who need it most. I’m most excited about offering my experience and commitment to service of others to Canvas Health’s incredible staff and clients.”
The Canvas Health Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Khu Thao, MSW, PsyD, LP, LICSW, as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 28, 2022. Thao will succeed Dr. Matt Eastwood, who will retire after serving as CEO since 2015. Dr. Thao is a highly respected leader in the mental […]
In the latest issue of the Phoenix Spirit, a publication focused on well-being, is a story about Randy Anderson, a man who went “From Addict to Mentor.”
Anderson was deep into drug use and drug sales at the time of his arrest. Years of prison followed. But it wasn’t until he met with a particularly “hard-nosed” counselor that he finally found a path to sobriety and advocacy for others like him.
Anderson is perhaps most passionate about training other recovering users like himself to be peer counselors. Offering peer counseling services, he believes, is one of the simplest, least expensive, and most accessible ways to address drug addiction. He even helped get state legislation passed to fund peer counseling services in some treatment settings.
Though recent studies seem to show most people with addiction, that doesn’t mean that is easy. But that’s where peer counselors, also called Peer Recovery Specialists, like Randy Anderson now is, can help.
“We want to find out what you think is best for you and to pull that out of you,” says Anderson. “I just want people to be successful. I don’t want people to suffer. I want people to get the help, no matter what that looks like for them.”
Canvas Health offers Peer Recovery Specialists and has found similar stories of success made through this service, like a female client who utilized all available services and had notable success in treatment, including continued care throughout the transition process into MCF-Shakopee. As a result of our collaborative treatment, and her commitment to change, and continued advocacy from a Peer Recovery Specialist, she was afforded opportunities leading to a reduced sentence (nearly 4 years) and entrance into the MCF Challenge Incarceration Program which can help the client rejoin her young daughter.
Sobriety has been even more challenging for people during the pandemic. Canvas Health continues to offer counseling and treatment for clients in person and via telehealth for our community.
Learn more about Canvas Health’s substance abuse program and make an appointment for a chemical health assessment or chemical health treatment.
In the latest issue of the Phoenix Spirit, a publication focused on well-being, is a story about Randy Anderson, a man who went “From Addict to Mentor.” The Path to Sobriety Anderson was deep into drug use and drug sales at the time of his arrest. Years of prison followed. But it wasn’t until he […]
Canvas Health’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Eastwood recently announced his plan for a March 2022 retirement from the agency.
During his years as CEO, Matt led Canvas Health through several key transitions, including navigating through a pandemic that continues to affect virtually every part of the agency’s operation. He also guided staff through the implementation of a new Electronic Health Records system to help improve the agency’s overall efficiency and service to clients.
Matt currently is leading Canvas Health through the process of becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, a sustainably financed model that will help ensure access to integrated, evidence-based addiction and mental health services for our clients.
Matt has served in the healthcare industry for over 42 years, including the past decade at Canvas Health. His plans for retirement include spending time with family, traveling, golfing, and fishing.
“On behalf of the staff and Board of Canvas Health, we extend our gratitude and thanks to Matt for his visionary leadership. The common theme of his accomplishments is his commitment to keeping Canvas Health’s mission of hope, healing, and recovery at the forefront of all of his decisions. Canvas Health is poised for a bright future because of his dedication,” said Eileen McMahon, Canvas Health Board Chair.
Those interested in learning more about the Chief Executive Officer position may contact Walter J. Flynn, W. J. Flynn and Associates, LLC, (651) 287-2370, walt.flynn@wjflynnandassociates.com.
Canvas Health’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Eastwood recently announced his plan for a March 2022 retirement from the agency. During his years as CEO…
This month, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, released the advisory Protecting Youth Mental Health. It’s a 53 page report about a youth mental health crisis made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[I]n 2019, one in three high school students and half of female students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” the Surgeon General declares in his introduction, “an overall increase of 40% from 2009.”
Adolescence and young adulthood provide many challenges, but the disruption and isolation during the pandemic has proven harmful to many young people.
“I know so many people have suffered through worse things, but there’s also this feeling of ‘this is supposed to be the greatest time of my life’ and I’m sitting in my room staring at a computer,” said 20-year-old Isabelle Schindler to The Washington Post.
Canvas Health’s staff working with young people have noticed a similar trend. And it one reason Canvas Health like to incorporate family and support networks into treatment whenever possible, so young people, now more than ever, know they aren’t alone.
The Surgeon General’s report makes clear our programs serving youth—who make up half of our 8,500 clients each year—on the frontlines of this national crisis.
If you’d like to learn more about Canvas Health’s youth and family programs, you can visit our website or give our staff a call at (651) 777-5222 or just drop us a message here.
This month, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, released a 53 page report about a youth mental health crisis made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canvas Health’s Early Childhood Behavior Assistance (ECBA) has recently aided both Stillwater Area Public Schools and South Washington County Schools with trainings on early childhood development.
Canvas Health’s ECBA program is an early childhood mental health unit that provides consultation, education, training and support caregivers in the home, daycare, and other settings to help decrease behavior problems while promoting healthy child and family development.
Community education and consultation like this is an important service for a community mental health centers like Canvas Health.
The Stillwater Area Public Schools effort was a series of trainings about trauma with school stakeholders, including early childhood education staff, special education staff, and parent educators. The trainings taught school stakeholders about what trauma looks like in kids, how that trauma affects caregivers, and how caregivers can support kids with trauma.
The South Washington County Schools training was a collaboration funded by a Wellspring grant to support parent education in the schools. Canvas Health led three of a five part series. For the trainings, the supervisor of ECBA, Katie Zacharias, focused on anxiety, what can parents can do to recognize symptoms and to support children, and last, what parents can do to recognize their own needs and care for themselves.
Canvas Health’s ECBA program focuses on the caregiver-child relationship. Though there are many components to a child’s wellbeing—whether it’s trauma, stress, or parenting practices—caregivers can learn to be an organizing partner for children. Their co-regulating relationship can help children practice working through big emotions and big behaviors to until they can do this on their own.
Learn more about ECBA and their Early Childhood Consultation services here.
Canvas Health’s Early Childhood Behavior Assistance (ECBA) has recently aided local schools with trainings on early childhood development.
November is National Gratitude Month, a time to celebrate and give thanks. Reflecting on that for which we are grateful, is an important way for people to feel satisfaction with themselves and current state, rather than dissatisfaction with what they don’t have.
This kind of reflection and giving of thanks are also powerful strategies to boosting self-wellness.
The Harvard Medical School highlights the findings of studies that show the power of gratitude.
“In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
Showing gratitude can make you feel better about your life, manage mental health problems like depression and anxiety, improve self-esteem and sleep, lower your stress and more. Sounds great.
But what are some of the ways to do this?
Canvas Health can offer support for these strategies, as well as formal therapy. For questions about in-person and telehealth services or to make an appointment, please call (651) 777-5222 or email intake@canvashealth.org.
November is National Gratitude Month, a time to celebrate and give thanks. Showing gratitude can make you feel better about…
October is Wellness Month at Canvas Health. As part of the celebration, Canvas Health invited Sharise Nance, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, as well as an author, speaker, and facilitator, to present “When Helping Hurts: Understanding the Impact of Compassion Fatigue.”
Compassion fatigue is the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others, often through experience of stress or trauma. This impacts our counseling staff, but it’s not limited to therapists—caregivers of all kinds experience compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue is often mistaken for burnout, which is a cumulative sense of fatigue or dissatisfaction that manifests as anger and frustration. Instead, compassion fatigue manifests as sadness and grief, avoidance and dread of working with some clients, students, and patients, as well as reduced ability to feel empathy towards clients, students, and families.
Sharise Nance led our staff through exercises and exploration of protective factors against compassion fatigue. We learned how staff can help themselves, how colleagues can support each other, and how leadership and protect their staff including:
“This is like the common cold” for health care professionals, Nance said. But our staff, other healthcare professionals, and all the caregivers can recognize compassion fatigue and overcome it.
October is Wellness Month at Canvas Health. As part of the celebration, Sharise Nance led our staff through exercises and exploration of protective factors against…
Canvas Health, through its rape crisis center, Abuse Response Services, provides services to rape and sexual assault victims in Washington County. However, we also work very closely with other advocacy programs whose focus is domestic violence. These issues are linked and many times victim/survivors experience both.
During October Canvas Health and Abuse Response Services are supporting our sister domestic violence advocacy organizations, including:
Please click the above links to learn more about how these organizations help victim/survivors of domestic violence.
This October, Abuse Response Services is partnering with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and other state and territorial coalitions across the nation to start a coordinated national conversation about domestic violence and how we can all contribute to changing the narrative on this overshadowed, but fundamental topic.
More prevalent than most realize, one in four women and one in seven men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. Anyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual identity or orientation, or socio-economic status, can become a victim of domestic violence. This year’s campaign theme, #Every1KnowsSome1, strives to highlight how common domestic violence is and that it is more than physical violence.
Throughout October, Abuse Response Services and NNEDV will be sharing content on their social media channels to help raise awareness and educate the public on the complex dynamics of domestic violence. A Week of Action is planned for October 18 – 24, 2021 designed to engage advocates, partners, and the public in starting a national conversation.
You can also follow Canvas Health’s Abuse Response Services on Instagram @Canvashealth_ars
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Canvas Health, through its rape crisis center, Abuse Response Services, provides services to…
“At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you.”
On Wednesdays, from October 13 to December 8, Canvas Health is hosting a Circle of Security Parenting Program at the Pleasant Hills Library in Hastings, MN.
This training is FREE and open to parents and/or caregivers of children ages 0 – 12 in the Hastings area interested in learning how to strengthen their parent-child relationship.
The Circle of Security Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.
In this 8-session program, parents and/or caregivers will learn how to better:
Pleasant Hills Library-Large Conference room
1490 S Frontage Rd Hastings, MN
Gas cards provided!
Free! but limited to 10 parents/families
Wednesday mornings from October 13 until December 8
Bagels and coffee provided!
9am-11am on 10/13, 10/20, 10/27
11am-1pm on 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 12/1, 12/8
Drawing for game basket and Walmart gift card on 12/8
Contact Sandra Woolsey by 10/10/21
Phone (612) 562-0022 or email swoolsey@canvashealth.org
Presented by: Rachel Milan, MA, LMFT & Ali Ryan, MSW, LGSW
Please note: Participants will need to be able to commit to attending all sessions as information presented and discussions will be conducted based on previous weeks’ material. When registering, please register all caregiver(s) that will be attending.
The Circle of Security Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.
Prior to joining Canvas Health, I was a stay-at-home mom, having left my previous job because I needed to put my own mental health first as I was struggling with severe postpartum depression and anxiety. When I began pursuing work again, I told myself that I wanted to pick a position that I felt drawn to, something that would bring purpose to my life and my struggles – a job where I felt like I could make a difference in the lives of the people that I serve.
The Canvas Health Family has welcomed me with open arms since the moment I interviewed. As an Admin Coordinator in the Substance Use department working “behind the scenes” and not direct client care, I see how big of an impact any role at Canvas Health makes in our clients’ lives. I am so proud to be a part of this great agency and a part of giving clients hope and strength again.
Canvas Health means so much to me. I already call it my home. I would recommend Canvas Health to anyone for receiving services or for finding employment. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me here.
~ Aimee Berger, Substance Use Program Administrative Coordinator
Prior to joining Canvas Health, I was a stay-at-home mom. When I began pursuing work again, I wanted to pick a position that I felt drawn to, something that would…
