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CentraCare/St. Cloud Priority

Lighting the Path

Lighting the Path is a $4.37 million community fundraising campaign designed to expand access to mental health support across CentraCare communities and sustain these critical programs for years to come.

Many community donors have already contributed and helped us raise more than 80% of our goal. We are confident that our generous employees will help to bridge the gap to our $4.37 million goal.

By giving to the Lighting the Path campaign, you will help ensure mental health services are available to those who need it in our community for years to come.

This campaign focuses on three core areas:

Early Childhood Mental Health (Clara’s House)

  • Pediatric mental health referrals increased by 390% for patients ages 0-5 within CentraCare between 2016 and 2020 (from 126 to 492 referrals).
  • 17,656 Minnesota children ages 0-5 have a serious mental health need.
  • 90% of a child’s brain development happens before age 5.
  • More work is needed to provide greater mental health support for younger children 2-5 years old.

Suicide Prevention

  • One in five Minnesota teens consider suicide each year. Last year, 36% of suicidal crisis emergency visits were 7 to 18-year-olds.
  • 1,382 patients were treated for suicidal crises at the St. Cloud Hospital Emergency Trauma Center in the last year.
  • Greater Minnesota has a higher suicide rate than the Twin Cities metro area. 112 people lost their lives to suicide in 2020 in the counties served by CentraCare.
  • Suicide can be prevented and people with suicidal thoughts can be helped. CentraCare is committed to implementing a Zero Suicide model. In 2019, a Suicide Prevention coordinator was hired.
  • To meet increased needs, a second Suicide Prevention coordinator and additional programming must be added to the team.

Compassionate Emergency Crisis Care (EmPATH unit)

  • Mental health emergencies are the sixth most common reason a person presents to the St. Cloud Hospital Emergency Department.
  • On average, more than 10 community members a day seek mental health services through the St. Cloud Hospital Emergency Trauma Center.
  • In 2021, St. Cloud Hospital opened one of Minnesota’s first Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing Units (EmPATH) thanks to the support of Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and community donors. The EmPATH Unit is working toward supporting all nine CentraCare hospital emergency rooms to transition patients away from a typical emergency room environment into an intentionally calm setting to be assessed, observed and treated during their time of crisis.
  • Additional funding will support a centralized team space to enhance collaboration and communication for patient care staff.