With the opening of Clara's House, a unique and beautiful facility for partial hospitalization programming, the adolescents of Central Minnesota have an opportunity to receive individualized and specialized care for mental health problems in an atmosphere that is warm, healing and supportive of their efforts to regain and maintain health.

Clara's House is home to the following programs:

• Adolescent Chemical Dependency Program (Recovery Plus)
• Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program
• Child Partial Hospitalization Program

Services

• Provides all-day intensive outpatient services during school hours Monday through Friday.
• Provides evening programming until 7 p.m. for Recovery Plus Chemical Dependency Services.
• Offers comprehensive, short-term treatment of acute psychiatric conditions for children and adolescents ages 5 to 18 with multiple professional disciplines including psychiatry, social work, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, recreational therapy and art therapy.
• Furnishes three levels of care for chemical dependency, depending on the adolescent’s needs, which include group therapy, recreational therapy, chemical education, family therapy and drug screens.
• Provides teachers from School District 742 to work with patients to regain and maintain academic progress.

Community Support
Mae Ellingson-Skalicky donated $1 million for the facility, which was named in honor of her mother, Clara Ellingson.

The CentraCare Health Foundation, as part of their Investing in Health . . . Ensuring Excellence campaign, raised more than $15 million, with $3 million being directed to building Clara’s House and an endowment for services. A total of 505 benefactors contributed to Clara’s House.

As a result of reaching their campaign goals, the Foundation received a $750,000 challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan. This is the first St. Cloud Hospital facility that has been completely paid for by community donations.

Building Facts

• 54 rooms including a gym, playroom, three classrooms, five group rooms, lobbies and offices
• Areas of Clara's House named after benefactors include:
  • Schlough Wing, which houses the Chemical Dependency Program
  • Then Wing, which houses the Child Partial Hospitalization Program
  • Anderson Wing, which houses the Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program
  • Torrey Recreation Room, which is the gym.
• Project cost is $2,500,000
• 16,021 square feet
• Construction started April 26, 2004, and it was completed October 15, 2004.

How to Support Clara's House
Clara’s Foundation Fund is a growth fund that is invested and generates income annually. The fund provides services and programming for children and adolescents with mental health or chemical dependency issues. If you would like to make a gift to this fund, please contact CentraCare Health Foundation or you may also make a donation online.

Helpful Resources

• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Recognizing and dealing with teen substance abuse
• Helping a person get treatment for alcohol abuse or dependence