Open house set at Rural Behavioral Health Clinic

Jan. 30—MANKATO — An open house for the Rural Behavioral Health Clinic is slated 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at the facility's University Square location, 1600 Warren St., Suite 6.

The event will include a short program at 5:15 p.m. and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Attendees will be able to see the new clinical space and also meet the clinical staff and people involved in the launch and creation of the clinic.

The Rural Behavioral Health Clinic will initially provide in-person mental health counseling, case management and medication management to clients of all ages who are either enrolled in public programs, have commercial health insurance or are uninsured.

The service area for the clinic encompasses Minnesota's south-central region, including Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Watonwan and Waseca counties.

In addition to serving as a community-based outpatient mental health center, the clinic will act as an academic training center for students enrolled in the Minnesota State University's training programs in social work, counseling and student personnel, alcohol and drug studies, psychology and nursing.

MSU and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announced in September the clinic would open during the 2024-2025 academic year. The health insurer has pledged $5 million in support, and the Blue Cross pledge followed a Minnesota Legislature allocation in spring 2023 of $1.5 million to establish the clinic, as well as $1 million in approved federal funding.