Canvas Health wants to be here for you in every way possible during this time of crisis. Please click on the link below for a list of resources that may help during this time. We’ll keep adding to it as the days progress and new information becomes available.
COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 resources, mental health, substance use, canvas health
Canvas Health is committed to you and your well-being, especially as the COVID-19 illness is becoming more prevalent in our community.
As an Essential Community Provider in the State of Minnesota, Canvas Health clinics continue to be open and providing services to individuals in our clinics and in the community. Our clinic- and community-based clinicians are following CDC recommendations for cleaning as well as following recommended precautions regarding coming to work.
You may want to consider online therapy sessions using our telehealth system, which allows clients to meet with their providers through an app and the camera on their computer, tablet, or smartphone. Please let us know if you would like additional information on telehealth. At this time, group therapy sessions will continue to be held, using appropriate social distancing measures.
Please do not attend your in-person appointment or meet with your community-based provider if you are having symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, have traveled to a high-risk area for transmission of COVID-19 in the last 14 days, or if you have been in close contact with someone confirmed positive or currently being evaluated for COVID-19.
We understand that this is a challenging time for everyone, and may be especially concerning for those struggling with mental illness, substance use issues, abuse and crisis situations. Please reach out to Canvas Health for an appointment if you are experiencing increased anxiety, depression, substance use concerns or other issues.
We encourage those in crisis to use the following 24/7 emergency phone numbers below:
Lastly, if you are able, please consider donating to Canvas Health so we can continue to provide life-saving services in this time of crisis.
We will continue to provide updates regarding our services as we have them visit CanvasHealth.org and our Facebook page for the latest news. Please call us at (651) 777-5222 or email intake@canvashealth.org for scheduling questions.
We’re here to help you through this unprecedented time,
Matt Eastwood, CEO, and Canvas Health Staff
Canvas Health is committed to you and your well-being, especially as the COVID-19 illness is becoming more prevalent in our community. As an Essential Community Provider in the State of Minnesota, Canvas Health clinics continue to be open and providing services to individuals in our clinics and in the community. Our clinic- and community-based clinicians are following CDC recommendations for cleaning as well as following recommended precautions regarding […]
As an Essential Community Provider in the State of Minnesota, Canvas Health clinics are open and providing services to individuals in our clinics and in the community. Our clinic- and community-based clinicians are following CDC recommendations for cleaning as well as following recommended precautions regarding coming to work.
Our recall plan as of July 1, 2021:
Canvas Health is happy to welcome many of our clients and clinicians back to in-person services beginning July 1! We are pleased to be offering in-person services for our clients who take part in our substance use groups and substance use individual treatment, case management, school-based, CTSS, and peer specialist/peer recovery specialist offerings.
More in-person services will become available soon! For questions about in-person and telehealth services or to make an appointment, please call (651) 777-5222 or email intake@canvashealth.org.
Precautions and masking:
Canvas Health continues to strongly encourage staff and clients to use known precautions to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Please do not attend an in-person appointment or meet with your community-based provider if you are having symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, muscle soreness, or shortness of breath, or if you have been in close contact with someone confirmed positive or currently being evaluated for COVID-19.
All clients and staff who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to mask or wear face coverings; however, both are strongly encouraged to do so. Clients and staff who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 shall continue to wear a mask or face covering.
Telehealth:
Some services will continue to have a telehealth option, which allows clients to meet with their providers through an app and the camera on their computer, tablet, or smartphone. Please check with your service provider and/or insurance for more details.
COVID Preparedness and Recall Plan:
Click here for the Canvas Health COVID Preparedness and Recall Plan.
We will continue to provide updates regarding our services as we have them visit CanvasHealth.org and our Facebook page for the latest news. Please call us at (651) 777-5222 or email intake@canvashealth.org for scheduling questions.
As an Essential Community Provider in the State of Minnesota, Canvas Health clinics are open and providing services to individuals in our clinics and in the community. Our clinic- and community-based clinicians are following CDC recommendations for cleaning as well as following recommended precautions regarding coming to work. Our recall plan as of July 1, 2021: Canvas Health is […]
After receiving funding through the Medica Foundation this fall, Canvas Health hit the ground running at the Chisago County Jail with a program designed to provide judicial clients with strategies that will prevent relapsing into problematic alcohol and drug use and criminal conduct.
Staff, who are embedded at the Chisago County Public Safety Center, strive to provide judicial clients with the strategies, concepts and skills to bring meaning and responsibility into all facets of their lives.
The 12-week program is based on a cognitive-behavioral model treating both substance use and criminal thinking simultaneously.
One of the primary focuses of the program, in addition to the educational element, is to afford clients the best possible opportunities post-release, through a formal continuing care plan as they transition back into the community.
After release, a client’s transition plan can include continuing his or her treatment on an outpatient basis at Canvas Health’s Forest Lake, North Branch, Stillwater, Cottage Grove, or Oakdale clinic.
Program staff work closely with the jail’s staff, probation officers, county attorneys, and public defenders. The program is currently at capacity with clients and is seeing great success.
After receiving funding through the Medica Foundation this fall, Canvas Health hit the ground running at the Chisago County Jail with a program designed to provide judicial clients with strategies that will prevent relapsing into problematic alcohol and drug use and criminal conduct. Treating Substance Use & Criminal Thinking Staff, who are embedded at the […]
Sue Sperber, Canvas Health’s Senior Development Officer, is pictured here with her father, Denis Bakke. Here’s her Canvas Health story:
My parents, Denis and Phyllis, began supporting Canvas Health’s senior programs back in 1996. When my mom’s health was failing after a couple of strokes, Canvas Health stepped in and assisted our family with its services. My dad has continued to financially support Canvas Health and through example and encouragement, the rest of our family got involved and began supporting Canvas Health as well.
I started volunteering on the Valley Vine & Harvest Throwdown event committee in 2011, and in 2014, I joined the staff as Canvas Health’s Development Officer. I am so proud of our agency’s mission, and I love telling others about our essential programs and services, as well as the great people who passionately work within these programs. Daily I am in awe of the many ways we meet our client’s critical needs, both in our clinics as well as in the community.
Sue loves meeting with people who want to learn more about Canvas Health. Email her at ssperber@canvashealth.org or call (651) 492-7477.
Sue Sperber, Canvas Health’s Senior Development Officer, is pictured here with her father, Denis Bakke, loves meeting with people who want to learn more about Canvas Health. Here’s her Canvas Health story:
Many of Canvas Health’s mental health and substance use programs have immediate openings! You can request an appointment online or call (651) 777-5222 to schedule an appointment.
Can’t make it to one of our clinic locations? Ask about telehealth!
Many of Canvas Health’s mental health and substance use programs have immediate openings! You also can request an appointment online. You also can call 651-777-5222 to schedule an appointment.
When people experience mental and substance use disorders, healing is important not just for the client, but for everyone affected – particularly family and significant others, who often experience significant stress around the suffering of their family member.
On Nov. 1, Canvas Health and the Wilder Foundation will host Hope and Recovery in Suicide Care: Clinical work to resolve suicide risk, featuring Dr. Jeffrey Sung at the Wilder Auditorium in St. Paul. Hope and Recovery in Suicide Care presents an overview of clinical interventions for suicide risk with a focus on treatment strategies for ongoing psychotherapy. Improvements in the standardization of suicide risk assessment and management provide clinicians with strategies to manage an acute suicide crisis, but after these initial interventions are completed, clinicians are not always clear on the next steps for effective intervention. This conference will establish a foundation for current best practices in suicide risk assessment and management by reviewing recommendations from national oversight agencies.
*Pre-approved CEUs will be available.
Participants will gain abilities to:
1. Assess suicide risk by identifying risk and protective factors.
2. Manage suicide risk by developing a plan that includes fostering connectedness, addressing co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions, reducing access to lethal means and developing a safety plan.
3. Treat suicide risk by identifying direct drivers of suicide and using treatment strategies to resolve these.
When people experience mental and substance use disorders, healing is important not just for the client, but for everyone affected – particularly family and significant others, who often experience significant stress around the suffering of their family member. On Nov. 1, Canvas Health and the Wilder Foundation will host Hope and Recovery in Suicide Care: […]
In collaboration with Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District, Canvas Health is excited to announce Sunflower Learning Center, an early childhood program that serves students ages 3-5 who are struggling to be successful in their current preschool or childcare setting due to their mental health symptoms and behaviors.
Early childhood therapists empower students with the skills they need to co-regulate emotions and behaviors; and find success in school, at home and in their communities.
The program operates with the belief that early intervention helps students learn in their neighborhood schools among their peers for the vast majority of their school careers.
Students and families experience an innovative school program where they:
Location:
Sunflower Learning Center
2482 E County Rd F
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Contact:
Dan Porter
dporter@916schools.org
651-415-5451
Students served:
Ages 3-5 with mental health or behavioral needs
School year hours:
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Summer hours:
Monday – Thursday
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
In collaboration with Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District, Canvas Health is excited to announce Sunflower Learning Center, an early childhood program that serves students ages 3-5 who are struggling to be successful in their current preschool or childcare setting due to their mental health symptoms and behaviors. Co-Regulate Emotions and Behaviors Early childhood therapists […]
Canvas Health recently welcomed Allison Fredrickson as a new member of its Board of Directors.
As a member of the Board of Directors, Fredrickson will work to maintain awareness of the current challenges and opportunities facing the organization, and will provide support for the organization’s strategic plan and development initiatives.
Fredrickson is an attorney in Eckberg Lammers, P.C.’s Family Law group and a Qualified Neutral with the State of Minnesota. With over thirteen years of experience as a practicing attorney in the family law field, she has dealt with highly emotional and personal legal issues facing families in times of change, including cases that require mediation and courtroom settings. She also handles municipal prosecution for several counties in the metro area, where she is able to use her knowledge of substance and mental health issues to provide just results.
Aside from her focus in Family Law, Fredrickson also has experience in Criminal Law. Prior to joining Eckberg Lammers, she was an attorney with Dudley & Smith, P.A. in St. Paul, MN.
Fredrickson is an active member of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, a non-profit organization that educates the public, lawyers, judges and law students in the areas of addiction and mental health. This knowledge and work in the community helps her deal with the issues facing many of her clients.
Fredrickson is committed to community service and outreach, particularly in areas of juvenile and youth services. She is a mentor to youth in the Boy Scouts of America organization and is also actively involved in the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Mock Trial program.
“My affinity for Canvas Health’s mission arises from having witnessed first-hand the unmet need for affordable, accessible mental health services in Minnesota. We are fortunate here to have a wide, well-developed safety net for vulnerable citizens and it is our duty to maintain and enhance it for future generations,” said Fredrickson.
Canvas Health recently welcomed Allison Fredrickson as a new member of its Board of Directors. As a member of the Board of Directors, Fredrickson will work to maintain awareness of the current challenges and opportunities facing the organization, and will provide support for the organization’s strategic plan and development initiatives. Meet Allison Fredrickson Fredrickson is […]
In 2018 Canvas Health launched a pilot for telehealth—a new way for clients to meet with their providers through an app and the camera on their computer, tablet, or smartphone.
After an assessment and initial appointment at a Canvas Health clinic offering telehealth, the clinician and the client can determine whether telehealth would be helpful and desired.
There are a lot of reasons why clients are using telehealth. Clients or kids are sick. The roads are icy. Medical issues prevent them from making their appointment. They moved further away, but want to keep their therapist. They really need to talk to someone immediately.
By far the most common, say Canvas Health clinicians like Megan Chaffee, are ongoing transportation issues. “It’s convenient for clients,” Chaffee says. “And many have challenges getting to the office. They don’t have a car or a convenient bus route or they have health problems, which makes getting around difficult.”
It takes staff a few sessions to get used to providing services this way. They have to get comfortable with the technology and how to explain and coach the app to clients. Plus, it can be harder to read nonverbal cues and it’s awkward at times—especially at the beginning—but a lot of clients like it and, most importantly, it keeps sessions consistent. A 45 minute appointment can take two hours when factoring drive time to and from a clinic. Telehealth saves time and often increases clients’ willingness to commit to therapy.
For Liliana Freire-Bebeau, a Canvas Health psychotherapist in Cottage Grove and Bloomington, it’s given her the flexibility to meet her clients when and where they need her. “It’s like an extra office,” she says. “You still have to do some things face-to-face. I never want to get rid of that…but it does help get clients treatment and keeps them consistent.”
Jay Theisen, Canvas Health’s Director of Outpatient Clinics, has seen this buy-in from other providers once they experience their clients really benefiting. He’d like for all service providers to be able to offer it as a secondary option for those not able to make it into the office. “I hope that clients will soon seek us out because we provide telehealth and can use it to engage more effectively in their recovery.”
As for the future, Canvas Health is still figuring that out. Their providers started using telehealth to provide treatment plan updates and are looking at assessment updates, too. Substance Use Services is starting to use it to provide increased access for clients at schools.
Chaffee is excited about what comes next. “I hope it continues to provide flexibility to clients and clinicians to meet clients where and when they need it. It’d be great if that helps us reach more clients.”
For more information, talk with your Canvas Health therapist or call (651) 777-5222.
In 2018 Canvas Health launched a pilot for telehealth—a new way for clients to meet with their providers through an app and the camera on their computer, tablet, or smartphone. After an assessment and initial appointment at a Canvas Health clinic offering telehealth, the clinician and the client can determine whether telehealth would be helpful […]
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.
The theme of SAAM this year is “I Ask” to empower everyone to put consent into practice. Download information on consent here.
Canvas Health’s Abuse Response Services serves victims of sexual assault and teen relationship abuse in Washington County. The program offers a range of services, 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. All services are free. If you have experienced a sexual assault or dating violence, call our 24 hour crisis line at (651) 777-1117 or our business office at (651) 251-5079.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it. The theme of SAAM this year is “I Ask” to empower everyone to put consent into practice. Download information on consent here. Canvas Health’s Abuse Response Services serves […]
Canvas Health recently hired Hilke Riechardt-Martinez as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
As Canvas Health’s CFO, Hilke is responsible for all accounting services, financial services, human resources, information technology, property management, procurement, billing and receivables for the parent company as well as all subsidiary companies.
“Hilke brings an understanding and wealth of experience in for-profit and non-profit finances to Canvas Health, as we look to secure our future and deliver on our mission,” said Matt Eastwood, Canvas Health CEO. “Her strong financial leadership will help us continue offering hope, healing, and recovery to the people we serve.”
Hilke has 20 years of leadership experience in the fields of accounting, finance, information technology, and senior management working for Fortune 500 companies as well as five years of experience as CFO of two nonprofit mental health organizations in the Twin Cities.
Hilke completed her undergraduate degree in Accounting at the University of Texas at Austin and her MBA in Finance at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. In addition, Hilke holds an active CPA license and is certified as a CMA.
Celebrating 50 years of bringing hope, healing, and recovery to the lives of people we serve, Canvas Health offers over 35 clinic- and community-based programs. Our highly skilled, compassionate clinicians provide services to people struggling with mental illness, substance abuse, crisis, unstable housing, and trauma. As a nonprofit community-based agency, Canvas Health acts as a safety net provider, serving those with complex needs who may not otherwise be able to afford care. For more information, visit www.CanvasHealth.org.
Canvas Health recently hired Hilke Riechardt-Martinez as its new Chief Financial Officer.
Game Day is a free event and all ages are welcome to join. Come enjoy snacks and board games with our NAMI Washington County volunteers. We will provide a variety of board games and card games, but you are welcome to bring your favorite games to share as well!
Event Details:
Date: Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019
Time: 3-6 p.m.
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church; 115 N. 4th St.; Stillwater, MN 55082
NAMI is partnering with Canvas Health for this event; both organizations will have a staffed table with local resources and informational handouts. Through this event we hope to encourage community involvement and acceptance of mental illness.
For more information, call 651-645-2948 ext. 118
email: affiliates@namimn.org
Game Day is a free event and all ages are welcome to join. Come enjoy snacks and board games with our NAMI Washington County volunteers. We will provide a variety of board games and card games, but you are welcome to bring your favorite games to share as well! Event Details: Date: Sunday, Jan. 20, […]
Canvas Health is proud to offer several group services, including support groups, yoga, day treatment, and symptom management, to address our clients’ specific mental health needs.
Canvas Health is proud to offer several group services, including support groups, yoga, day treatment, and symptom management, to address our clients’ specific mental health needs. Learn more here.
Canvas Health joins several legislators in asking the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate to appropriate funding this session for Crisis Connection, a telephone counseling program that helps triage, stabilize, and assist callers in reaching a place of emotional and physical safety. The legislation, HF501 and SF776, appropriates $969,000 – or just 17 cents per Minnesotan per year – to keep Crisis Connection operational. Without this funding, Crisis Connection will begin shutting down its operations after May 21, 2018. Crisis Connection serves more than 52,000 callers from across Minnesota each year.
“Crisis Connection is a lifeline for thousands of Minnesotans. These are our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, neighbors and friends – and we all have an interest in keeping this important program running,” said Senator Karin Housley (R-St. Mary’s Point). “Without funding for this life-saving public service, the calls would be routed to already-overburdened law enforcement agencies and emergency rooms. For Minnesotans struggling with mental illness, loneliness, and addiction – and those at risk of harming themselves or others – having access to immediate resources could be the difference between life and death.”
Canvas Health CEO Matt Eastwood explained that until now, the agency has cobbled together funding for the service, which is accessed free-of-charge by callers.
“Even with fundraising and contracts, this service still has run at a significant annual deficit. Crisis Connection is an essential part of our state’s mental health safety net, and it needs sustainable, ongoing funding,” Eastwood said.
For nearly 50 years, counselors at Crisis Connection have offered life-saving support to Minnesotans. The Crisis Connection phone numbers have become a part of the culture of crisis support in the state, and are posted on websites, bulletin boards, and in literature in thousands of schools, mental health clinics, first responder offices, and State and community agencies. Often mental health therapists refer clients to Crisis Connection for after-hours counseling, and a closure would force them to identify an alternative or leave their clients unserved when they are unavailable. Additionally, mental health crisis calls are transferred to Crisis Connection from United Way 211 and 911 call operators. Crisis Connection is the only crisis call center in Minnesota responding to calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL).
If Crisis Connection ceases operations due to lack of funding, a person could still receive crisis counseling by calling the NSPL phone number, but these calls will no longer be routed to an organization based in Minnesota and familiar with the resources available within the state. Instead, they would likely be routed to a call center in another state – one less familiar with resources available in Minnesota. A lack of timely, appropriate care could have devastating consequences for a vulnerable person in crisis.
“People in Minnesota benefit greatly from having this service operated locally. Our trained counselors have developed relationships with local emergency responders and mental health providers, which, along with the robust database that we have built, help them efficiently and successfully connect people in crisis to resources that can provide them with the best long-term care,” Eastwood said. “We’re their neighbors, and we understand Minnesota – from the mental health and hospital systems, to the geography, to the nuances of Minnesota conversations.”
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Help save lives! Ask your legislators to support HF501 and SF776 to appropriate 17 cents per Minnesotan, per year for Crisis Connection, a suicide prevention telephone counseling program that helps triage, stabilize, and assist callers in reaching a place of emotional and physical safety. Without this funding, Crisis Connection will be forced to stop serving more than 52,000 Minnesotans per year on May 21, 2018. Find your legislators here: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/faq/faqtoc?id=47
Download a letter template to send to your legislator here.
Make a donation to support Canvas Health/Crisis Connection.
Canvas Health joins several legislators in asking the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate to appropriate funding this session for Crisis Connection, a telephone counseling program that helps triage, stabilize, and assist callers in reaching a place of emotional and physical safety. The legislation, HF501 and SF776, appropriates $969,000 – or just 17 cents […]
