What help is available for Minnesota kids struggling with mental health?

Jennifer Curtis testifies in favor of the facility.
Jennifer Curtis, who lives near Forest Lake, said having a mental health facility nearby could have helped her daughter who ended up in a juvenile detention center, "not an appropriate place for a mentally ill child who has never committed a crime," at a Forest Lake City Council meeting on Feb. 26, 2018.
Matt Sepic | MPR News

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A proposed first-of-its-kind mental health treatment facility for children and teenagers is on hold in Forest Lake after the city council delayed action on the plan last week.

The debate in Forest Lake highlights some of the challenges around finding treatment for Minnesota children with mental health problems.

MPR Reporter Nina Moini joined host Mike Mulcahy for a brief update on the Forest Lake situation. After that, Sue Abderholden, director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for Minnesota, joined the program to talk more broadly about the need for treatment, what options are available, and why some families struggle to find help.

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