Fund a Safe, State-Run Psychiatric Facility for Minnesota Kids
The Issue
Minnesota is in a mental health crisis — and children are paying the price.
Right now, 16 kids are stranded in hospital emergency rooms across Minnesota because there is nowhere appropriate to send them. They have serious mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They need intensive residential care. And the state doesn't have enough places to provide it.
This month, two of the largest youth residential mental health facilities in Minnesota are shutting down. The state suspended the license of Nexus Family Healing's East Bethel facility after finding serious safety violations, including staff who physically fought with young patients and one who showed a child sexual videos. Bar None Haven in Nowthen — the only locked facility of its kind in the entire state — is closing at the end of June. Together, these programs served dozens of Minnesota children and young adults.
The result? Kids with the most complex needs are being sent out of state — away from their families, their communities, and any meaningful oversight. Minnesota counties spent approximately $80 million in 2023 alone on out-of-state placements. That's $80 million leaving Minnesota, with far less accountability for what happens to those kids once they're gone.
We are asking Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature to fund a state-run psychiatric residential treatment facility for Minnesotans under 21 — with strong safety standards, independent oversight, and adequate staffing built in from day one. Representative Kim Hicks (DFL-Rochester) has already proposed a $7 million design investment for a 30-bed facility. The state's own estimates put full construction at around $54 million. That is less than what counties are spending every single year sending children out of state.
A state-run facility means the state sets the safety standards — and is accountable for meeting them. It means oversight that doesn't disappear when a nonprofit runs into financial trouble. It means kids with the most serious needs stay closer to home, with family involvement that research shows is critical to recovery.
"This is an area of children's services — specifically for kids with really challenging mental health conditions — that we are falling horrifically short every day," said Rep. Hicks, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Minnesota children in crisis deserve a system that is safe, properly staffed, and built to last. Please sign this petition urging Governor Walz and the Legislature to fund a state-run psychiatric residential treatment facility — with real accountability — before more kids fall through the gaps.
59
The Issue
Minnesota is in a mental health crisis — and children are paying the price.
Right now, 16 kids are stranded in hospital emergency rooms across Minnesota because there is nowhere appropriate to send them. They have serious mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They need intensive residential care. And the state doesn't have enough places to provide it.
This month, two of the largest youth residential mental health facilities in Minnesota are shutting down. The state suspended the license of Nexus Family Healing's East Bethel facility after finding serious safety violations, including staff who physically fought with young patients and one who showed a child sexual videos. Bar None Haven in Nowthen — the only locked facility of its kind in the entire state — is closing at the end of June. Together, these programs served dozens of Minnesota children and young adults.
The result? Kids with the most complex needs are being sent out of state — away from their families, their communities, and any meaningful oversight. Minnesota counties spent approximately $80 million in 2023 alone on out-of-state placements. That's $80 million leaving Minnesota, with far less accountability for what happens to those kids once they're gone.
We are asking Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature to fund a state-run psychiatric residential treatment facility for Minnesotans under 21 — with strong safety standards, independent oversight, and adequate staffing built in from day one. Representative Kim Hicks (DFL-Rochester) has already proposed a $7 million design investment for a 30-bed facility. The state's own estimates put full construction at around $54 million. That is less than what counties are spending every single year sending children out of state.
A state-run facility means the state sets the safety standards — and is accountable for meeting them. It means oversight that doesn't disappear when a nonprofit runs into financial trouble. It means kids with the most serious needs stay closer to home, with family involvement that research shows is critical to recovery.
"This is an area of children's services — specifically for kids with really challenging mental health conditions — that we are falling horrifically short every day," said Rep. Hicks, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Minnesota children in crisis deserve a system that is safe, properly staffed, and built to last. Please sign this petition urging Governor Walz and the Legislature to fund a state-run psychiatric residential treatment facility — with real accountability — before more kids fall through the gaps.
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on June 12, 2026