Family Life Mental Health Center

	Specialists In Mental Health Services

Dr. Robert Baumer

The Family Life Mental Health Center began as an idea in the spring of 1978. Dr. Robert Baumer and two psychiatric nurses collaborated to bring into the north metropolitan area a community based, and comprehensive mental health care service program for people with serious mental illness. This idea was born out of the experience of the need for more coordinated, and responsive mental health services at the time, especially for people suffering with serious mental illness with its life disabling effects in the north metro area.

In the spring of 1978, the clinic started with psychiatric assessment and nursing care. Two therapists with a Master’s degree in counseling were added and a certified occupational therapist joined the staff, all working out of a two-room office in the Anoka Professional Building. Within a year, a significant number of clientele was being served at the Center. The Family Life Mental Health Center became a private nonprofit incorporated one year after its opening.

From the years 1978 to 1983, the center went through several metamorphoses, moving into larger spaces at the Anoka Professional Building and acquiring more staff including psychiatrists, nursing staff, occupational therapy and group and individual therapists. The day treatment program was developed to provide ongoing socialization and rehabilitation support for people with serious mental illness that resulted in significant functional disability, manifesting with compromised vocational adjustments.

On or about 1984, the Center moved from the Anoka Professional Building to the old Anoka Post Office. It is a historical landmark. For several years, Dr. Myron Malecha took on the duties of medical director at the Center and in the following years, became the primary psychiatric practitioner at the Center until his tragic illness and demise in the winter of 2004. In that time span, Dr. Malecha became Anoka County’s most prominent psychiatric practitioner providing comprehensive inpatient psychiatric care at Mercy Medical Center and outpatient care at the Family Life Mental Health Center.

During this time span, Family Life Mental Health Center again moved, this time from the old Anoka post office to a renovated Twin City Federal bank building, across from Hans’ Bakery on Seventh Avenue. This two-story, modern facility more than doubled the space to accommodate the increasing number of providers that, by this time, included approximately thirty staff. At this time, there were four psychiatrists providing either full-time or part-time service with two psychiatric nurses assisting. The Center became the first outpatient site for the provision of dialectical behavior therapy for clients with severe personality disorders. This program was initiated at the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center on or around 1993 and the Family Life Mental Health Center, due to its proximity to the state hospital, and to the collaboration of staff and psychiatrists at both centers, took form on an outpatient basis. This program exists to the present time and has evolved to serve not only its classic defined population group of people with borderline personality disorder but also persons with a variety of diagnoses, as well as higher functioning clients and lower functioning clients with severe disabling behavioral problems. Most recently, the program has been adapted to work with adolescents.

Other programs that have developed over these years include anger management and Life Steps. Family Life Mental Health Center grew to include a large psychotherapy staff of fifteen therapists, six psychiatrists and two psychiatric nurses. A whole array of individual, marital, family, and group services are provided. A significant number of clients served at the Family Life Mental Health Center are still considered to be in the seriously and persistently mentally ill category. In addition, the Center has developed contracts with managed care companies including Medica, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, HealthPartners and others.

As the Center continues to operate as a private nonprofit agency, it depends on the contributions, charity and goodwill of the community, but is funded primarily by fee for services care (80 %)

Family Life Mental Health Center’s Board of Directors consists of 7-9 community member who serve a 3 year term. The names of the current board of directors can be accessed by contacting the administrative assistant at the center.

The Center also dispenses large quantities of expensive psychiatric medications to clients who are unable to afford them. It is estimated that well over two hundred thousand dollars worth of medications is given away to clients of the Center in this community yearly. This program is overseen by the nursing staff who assist clients with injections of psychotropic medications and answer questions about their meds.

Family Life Mental Health Center moved in 2002 to its new clinic setting at 1930 Coon Rapids Boulevard. This very large facility was shosen in anticipation of adequately meeting the center's growth needs. At the close of 2007, the center had psychiatry services from six psychiatrists, one clinical nurse specialist, twenty-one therapists, two nurses, and thirteen support staff.