Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic fills gap in access for services and meets increased demand for diverse practitioners

Avivo is excited to announce the grand reopening of its Mental Health Clinic, a clinic which strives to provide diverse mental health practitioners to people in diverse communities. Now with eight staff, the clinic is expanding access to new locations in the Twin Cities and accepting new participants.

“At Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic we offer advanced services to Avivo participants who might be enrolled in other services at Avivo and who might have a very limited income or no income at all. Some of the services include EMDR, brainspotting, trauma sensitive therapeutic yoga, and more,” shares Ayanna Richardson, Service Area Director, Community Chemical Mental Health at Avivo. “It’s a holistic approach, where someone can get help for anything they need all at once, that makes Avivo unique.”

“At Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic we offer advanced services to Avivo participants who might be enrolled in other services at Avivo and who might have a very limited income or no income at all … It’s a holistic approach, where someone can get help for anything they need all at once, that makes Avivo unique.”

Ayanna shares that Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic’s staff is diverse in terms of race, age, experience, gender, and gender identity. She states that Avivo actively encourages and supports staff from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers as mental health practitioners by helping fund additional education to obtain licensure.

“With the diverse staff Avivo offers, we ensure that someone coming to our Mental Health Clinic can meet with someone who might look like them or who they can identify with and feel safe with,” shares Ayanna.

“Safety and comfort aren’t only measured in terms of who someone might meet with for mental health services. It’s also about access,” she continues. “Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic is at Avivo’s main, 1900 Chicago Avenue location in Minneapolis. We offer services at YouthLink, a homeless shelter for young people ages 16-23, and Avivo Village, Avivo’s low-barrier transitional living emergency shelter serving adults experiencing homelessness.” Avivo also provides on-site mental health services for residents of Lydia Apartments, affordable apartments with support services for adults moving out of homelessness.

Ayanna adds the clinic is working on expanding access even more. “We’re looking at several other Twin Cities-area locations; trying to fill the gaps in mental health services and be part of the puzzle that allows people to access mental health that feels authentic and good to them,” she shares.

Are you interested in learning more about Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic or scheduling an appointment? Learn more and make an appointment here.