For over 38 years, Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health & Well-Being has been a beacon of hope for those coping with emotional and behavioral issues. We are a trauma responsive and integrative provider of mental health services focused on the needs of communities across Anoka County and Minnesota's north metro impacting the lives of 6,000+ individuals, families, and caregivers each year.
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Services Offered
Clinic-Based Therapy For 39 years, Lee Carlson Center has been a beacon of hope and healing for individuals and families. Throughout the lifespan from age 2 to 92, Lee Carlson Center continues to inspire hope, support and healing and restore health. Our team includes licensed therapists with over 100 years of combined experience.
School Based Mental Health Our innovative school based mental health programs focus on early identification and ease of access for 60 schools across seven school districts.
Research has found that half of all mental illnesses like major depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse start by age 14. Left untreated, these disorders can lead to higher rates of violence, school dropout, family dysfunction, juvenile incarceration, chemical dependency and unintentional injuries. By focusing our services in early learning to elementary school settings through middle and high school settings Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health and Well-being builds intentional partnerships with schools and communities to help identify concerns early and eliminate barriers to access for children and their families.
Group Therapy Group therapy sessions often involve around seven to twelve individuals and meets one or twice each week for an hour or two. These sessions allow people to receive the support and encouragement of the other members of the group.
People participating in the group can see that others are going through the same thing, which can help them feel less alone.
Groups offered at Lee Carlson Center are facilitated by licensed therapists who are often assisted by clinical interns with an interest or expertise in a certain area.
Psychiatry & Medication Management A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems and to prescribe medication.
Lee Carlson Center is fortunate to have on staff both a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who sees children as young as two and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who sees both youth and adult clients.
Fees and Payment
Most insurance plans are accepted. If you are a resident of Anoka County without insurance, a sliding scale fee payment plan is available.
We accept clients regardless of their county of residence and often enroll customers from across the larger 7 county metro and beyond
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Medicare Medicaid
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Qualifying for assistance from Minnesota's program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Minnesota's program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.