St. David's Center Expands Services for Autism, Mental Health

In 1987, Frank Bennett was referred to by doctors at Children’s Hospital.

Bennett has a special needs daughter with the rare genetic condition Williams syndrome.

At the time, his daughter had 12 different doctors and had been through at least 14 different surgeries.

The doctors told Bennett, now a long-term leader and donor of St. David’s Center in Minnetonka, “You should take her to St. David’s.”

“I said ‘Is there any place closer to us?’ and they said ‘Yes, there is, and you should take her to St. David’s,’” Bennett recalled. “And we are so glad that we did– St. David’s has been part of our family for 25 years.”

Now, St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development is expanding and improving its already beloved services.

Last week, the center celebrated the grand opening of its newly-remodeled Children’s Mental Health Clinic and Autism Day Treatment (ADT) suites with a formal ribbon cutting. Speaking at the event were State Senator Terri Bonoff, Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison, Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson, Mayor of Minnetonka Terry Schneider and Julie Sjordal, executive director of St. David’s Center, among other guests. 

Speakers addressed St. David’s Center as a leader in the state with its early childhood education and special needs services.

“At the state legislature, we are united about one thing, and that is the importance of children in our community,” said Sen. Terri Bonoff, who lives a couple blocks away from the center. “St. David’s is committed to providing the highest quality early childhood education for all children, and they represent the best and brightest in delivering that.”

Bonoff said while serving on the state autism task force, she heard really devastating things about what happens when you don’t meet the needs of autistic children and the impact on their families.

“And then I heard wonderful stories about what happens when you intervene early, when you actually can reach out and touch a family and make sure you are providing for the needs of today and keep them from being the problems of tomorrow,” Bonoff said. “That’s where St. David’s is such a leader.”

Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison said one thing she has learned as a commissioner is the complexity of delivering social services.

“In the state of Minnesota, we rely on the counties, and the counties rely on the social service providers like St. David’s,” Callison said. “But most social service providers are not like St. David’s.”

Callison was once a parent at St. David’s– her youngest daughter attended preschool at the center.

“St. David’s is known region-wide for the quality of care that they give,” she said.

The new Children’s Mental Health Clinic and Autism Day Treatment suites are just the first step in St. David’s comprehensive plan.

More renovations are on the way. The campus renovation is part of an $11 million capacity-building campaign that will enable St. David’s Center to reach 90 percent more children with early identification and early intervention services within the first three years of the investment.

The organization is currently more than 30 percent to its goal with leadership gifts from a number of individuals and corporate foundations.

Upcoming components include renovations to its pediatric rehabilitative therapy clinic, intensive preschool mental health day treatment program and early childhood education center. The campus will also be updated to preserve and engage the natural features of the site with the center’s educational and therapeutic services.

“Our goal is to increase our capacity to meet community need by creating a state-of-the-art early education, early intervention, treatment and training center that serves the developmental needs of children who access our center and services in the community,” said Julie Sjordal, executive director.

Children’s Mental Health Clinic

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that one in 10 children struggle with mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment to their day-to-day lives.

Based on nearly 25 years of mental health expertise, the Children’s Mental Health Clinic at St. David’s Center provides mental health assessment, individual play therapy and family and group therapy. Designed with the behavioral health needs of young children in mind, the new clinic includes seven assessment and treatment rooms as well as observation areas.

As a result of the new clinic, 210 children will gain access to critically-needed assessment services with a 157 percent increase in the number of children served. In the new environment, these children will have more calming spaces to play, heal and grow.

Autism Day Treatment Suites

The Centers for Disease Control reports that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to occur in as many as one in 88 individuals nationally. The ADT program at St. David’s Center provides interdisciplinary treatment including mental health, rehabilitative therapies and family support to children with an ASD diagnosis.

The new wing includes three innovatively-designed treatment suites comprised of an occupational therapy gym and treatment room as well as a built-in observation area. As a result, the organization will provide early intervention to 25 percent more children with ASD onsite and will be positioned to replicate its services in the community.

With a classroom, therapy gym and restroom all in one area, treatment is maximized around each child’s specific needs. Parents can also easily observe their child in the classroom to learn more about how to work with their child at home while interns can unobtrusively observe techniques to further their education. In addition, the renovation included four new speech therapy rooms, collaborative work spaces and updated mechanical systems.

About St. David’s Center

St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development provides early childhood education for children of all abilities, early intervention & treatment for children with developmental needs, and life-phase services for clients with enduring special needs to more than 2,000 individuals annually. Its mission is to build relationships that nurture the development of every child and family.