Mental Health Triage System

The Stearns County Family Services Collaborative funds the Mental Health Crisis Triage System (MHCTS) for children and youth residing in the St. Cloud Area Schools attendance area.

The program is in its fourth year and is experiencing great success with over 230 students referred since its inception. MHCTS provides emergency mental health services to students birth through age 21 who are suffering a severe crisis and may be in danger of harming themselves or others.

St. Cloud Area students in crisis are referred to MHCTS by administrators, social workers and/or counselors. Once the referral is received, the Crisis Triage Therapist meets with the parents and student and gathers information from the school staff and any other community organization with which the family is in contact. While gathering the information, a triage questionnaire is completed which assists in evaluating the level of crisis and documentation of data. Our pilot data indicate the usefulness of the triage screening step in assuring that those children most in need are seen emergently, leading to effective treatment in a much quicker time period.

Once all of the available data is gathered, the therapists triage the situation to determine what type of service would best fit the mental health needs of the student. MHCTS has access to weekly psychiatric evaluations at the St. Cloud Hospital Behavioral Health Clinic with child Health Center by Erin McPherson, M.S., LICSW. Upon receiving recommendations from the evaluation, a plan is developed by the student's team of professionals to coordinate care and facilitate positive, comprehensive changes.

This school-based triage service differs from existing services because it is based outside of a healthcare setting and readily accessed in schools and other community facilities which regularly serve children and their families. Accessing the triage service allows direction of the child and family to the most appropriate level of care as quickly as possible.