Team Mission Moment! What brings a mission to life are the people who exemplify it every day. Canvas Health team mission members are dedicated to providing excellent clinical care and making a positive impact in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Our team is motivated by a shared mission to help others and make a difference in the diverse communities we serve.
Meet some of the dedicated individuals who bring our mission to life through their work in the clinic, on staff, or as volunteers. We are grateful for their service.
“I am so proud and grateful to walk alongside my clients’ journey of growth and healing. Their ability to remain resilient, hopeful, and driven despite difficult circumstances of mental illness, grief, and trauma is incredible and astonishing.” ~ Sydney Bartz, MSW, LGSW; Outpatient Psychotherapist Practitioner
Learn more about Canvas Health’s Outpatient Therapy for all ages
“As a practitioner at Canvas Health I have been trained to not only provide counseling for my clients, but to also empower them. By providing professional guidance and connecting them with the wide variety of services available throughout our agency, we equip our clients with the tools necessary for them to thrive.” ~ Nina Mattson, MA; Mobile Crisis Practitioner; Scott County Mobile Crisis Response Team
Learn more about Canvas Health’s Crisis Response Services
“As the youngest of eight siblings, I came to the United States as a refugee at the age of 11 years old. I am grateful for all the help I have received in my life. I joined the Board of Directors at Canvas Health because it allowed me to leverage my experience, both personally and professionally, to provide help to those in need, just as others have done for me.” ~ True Thao, MSW, True Thao Counseling Services, Canvas Health Board Member
Learn more about Canvas Health’s Board and Leadership
Team Mission Moment! What brings a mission to life are the people who exemplify it every day. Canvas Health team mission members are dedicated to providing excellent clinical care and making a positive impact in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Our team is motivated by a shared mission to help others and make a difference […]
Communities across the Twin Cities, and across the country, are having conversations about how best to balance public safety with the needs of individuals in distress. More than merely talking about how police and social workers could work together, Canvas Health partnered with the Columbia Heights (Minnesota) Police Department to make it a reality. The Embedded Social Worker program teams law enforcement officers with social workers and mental health professionals to respond collaboratively when police are called.
Captain Erik Johnston of the Columbia Heights Police Department spoke about this partnership at our Valley Vine & Harvest Throwdown event in October.
“From the start, Canvas Health was an obvious partner for this program. Not only were they currently providing high-quality after-hours crisis response and support to our community, but they also quickly embraced the partnership and demonstrated the knowledge and passion to make a program like this work.
In the first 6 months of the program, 106 of 107 co-responses by social workers and police were resolved without the use of force. 103 of those situations were resolved without needing a transport hold.
During this same period, the social worker provided services to 183 clients and had nearly 800 interactions. Many of those contacts would previously have been handled by police. It has been clear to us that there is an unmet need for this type of service in our community. Additionally, both the officers and the mental health professionals are learning from each other and improving how we deliver our co-responder services to the community.”
Expanding the program to increase its impact
The goal is to expand this program to more police departments across the Greater Twin Cities area. In November, Canvas Health’s law enforcement embedded social workers, Eileen Crosby and Erin Buller, were proud to participate in the Criminal Justice Mental Health Summit hosted by Eckberg Lammers, P.C. Eileen and Erin worked directly with the Columbia Heights Police Department and participated in an “Embedded Social Workers in Police Departments” panel discussion with other agencies and social workers.
“I feel confident in saying at this point that our program has been a success, and that would not have been possible without the strong and generous support of Canvas Health, and my hope is for a long-lasting partnership going forward.” – Capt. Erik Johnston, Columbia Height Police Department
Communities across the Twin Cities, and across the country, are having conversations about how best to balance public safety with the needs of individuals in distress. More than merely talking about how police and social workers could work together, Canvas Health partnered with the Columbia Heights (Minnesota) Police Department to make it a reality. The […]
What is the “holiday spirit?”
When you boil it all down, it’s two things: It’s love. It’s hope.
It’s about loving our families and working towards a better tomorrow, even when it’s hard. The holiday season can be tough, especially for those struggling with their health or trying to provide basic necessities. But it’s important to make space for joy and the holiday spirit, especially for families with children. By prioritizing health and wellbeing and refusing to give up, we can find hope and love in the midst of challenges.
That’s why Canvas Health hosts an annual Fill the Sled Fundraiser to provide a special holiday for their clients and their families. This year, thanks to the generosity of their staff and donors, they were able to raise over $7,000 and provide gift cards to 30+ families in need!
With those funds, we are able to provide gift cards to 30+ families in need. Families like the Wallaces* who are progressing through our Children’s Mental Health Case Management program:
“The Wallaces exemplify the meaning of family. In addition to their grown children and grandchildren, they have extended their care to their grandchildren’s friends believing it is better to have them at their house than on the streets. Despite financial, emotional, and physical challenges, they have never given up. They see a glass as half full not half empty.”
Our staff also wrote about Corrine* and Marielle*, two other Canvas Health clients whose stockings were filled this year.
“Corrine has fought an amazing battle with her addiction to Fentanyl. She sought safe housing through SHARE for her children so she could complete inpatient treatment, and is currently in IOP Substance Use Treatment. Corrine is a wonderful mother who is committed to her sobriety and recovery for a better life for herself and her children.”
Learn more about Substance Use Disorder Services and Housing Services
“Marielle has struggled with receiving adequate and appropriate state/county services to make ends meet, but has remained resilient, hopeful and determined. Though working with her therapist, she has fought through intense grief and loss that shows remarkable strength and resilience.”
Learn more about Outpatient Therapy and Care Coordination
As with everything Canvas Health does, Fill the Sled is inspired by the community we serve. Staff from all service areas nominated patients for this program and included some of their stories. Despite their challenges, what stands out the most to us is that holiday spirit of love and hope.
*Client names changed to protect privacy.
What is the “holiday spirit?” When you boil it all down, it’s two things: It’s love. It’s hope. It’s about loving our families and working towards a better tomorrow, even when it’s hard. The holiday season can be tough, especially for those struggling with their health or trying to provide basic necessities. But it’s important […]
