Community Behavioral Health Hospitals

Our network of six Community Behavioral Health Hospitals (CBHHs) provide short-term inpatient psychiatric care at six regional facilities in communities across the state.

The goal of a CBHH is to provide care as close to a patient’s home community as possible, making it more likely that they will have the support of family, friends and coworkers. Having that support can make a big difference in a patient’s treatment and recovery.

The 16-bed hospitals provide an array of acute, short-term hospitalization services, including:

• Assessment of mental, social, functional, and physical health
• An individual treatment plan that includes medication management and 24-hour nursing care
• Chemical dependency treatment for patients with co-occurring conditions
• Multidisciplinary teams that include psychiatrists, general practice physicians, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, clinical social workers, addiction counselors and occupational therapists.
• Illness management and recovery
• Individualized discharge, care coordination and aftercare planning for transition back to an appropriate setting in the community

The CBHHs are locked facilities. On average, patients stay in the hospital about 48 days before discharge. In fiscal year 2019, the CBHHs provided treatment to 690 patients.

Admission

Admission to a CBHH is by referral only. Most referrals are provided by county social service agencies, courts, community hospitals and mental health providers. Patients can be admitted to a CBHH from anywhere in Minnesota. Most patients have been civilly committed by a court.

Referrals are screened by DHS’s Central Pre-Admission office and must meet admission criteria.

Contact the Central Pre-Admission office

The Central Pre-Admission office is staffed around the clock. Reach them at:

• Toll free: 1-866-966-2337
• Twin Cities Metro Area: 651-431-5337

Locations

Visiting

To protect patient privacy, hospital staff provide visiting information to family, friends and others only at the patient’s request and if the proper release form has been signed. The patient’s treatment team may also deny visits from specific visitors if there is a therapeutic reason to do so.

Hospitals try to accommodate visitors at other times if they are traveling from a distance or there are other extenuating circumstances. While the hospitals try not to turn visitors away, they can’t guarantee there will be a private meeting space available during non-posted visiting hours due to treatment sessions.

NAME: COMM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSP

ADDRESS:  1610 8TH AVENUE EAST

CITY: ALEXANDRIA

STATE: MN

ZIP: 56308

COUNTY_CODE: 21

COUNTY_NAME: DOUGLAS

TELEPHONE: 320-335-6201

FAX: 320-759-1002

ADMINISTRATOR: JENNIFER WESTRUM

LIC_TYPE: STATE

PSY_HOSP_BEDS:  0

SLFB_BEDS: 0

OTHER_BEDS: 16

PSY18_BEDS: 16