The medical building at 703 Thielen Drive in St. Michael has been a part of the city’s central area for decades. In its time, it’s hosted a family practice, a chiropractic care center and, now, a mental healthcare facility.
Craig Rens and the team of Solutions Counseling are resurrecting the old building – appropriately on the day after Easter Sunday – in what seems like a “perfect fit.”
“The building’s been here as a part of St. Michael for a really long time, and it was always hoped that it would be some sort of ‘hub’ for the medical community. A lot has changed since that was first designed, but we hope we can kind of bring it back and make it ours. We were really in need of some additional space, having outgrown our space inside the Zahler building a couple of times already. So this does really make sense for us as a business and as a facility,” said the Solutions owner and founder.
Solutions has been synonymous with mental health in St. Michael-Albertville for nearly a decade. Rens and his team of providers and assistants have worked with families, kids, married couples and everything in between. Along the way, Solutions has worked with the community to wash away some of the stigma that surrounds mental health, Rens said, and the community has “really embraced that message.”
“We wouldn’t be here if people didn’t accept what we were doing for our patients,” Rens said. “Really, it’s a credit to the STMA community and our surrounding areas for embracing mental health the way that they have – seeing that it’s something as good for your body and mind as exercise or physical health. It’s been outstanding to watch our facility grow with the community, and we’re looking forward to doing even more.”
Solutions opened today, Monday, April 2 at the 703 building. The space will have much of the “homey” feel that the Solutions location inside the Zahler building did. But there will be much more room for patients – from the waiting areas to office spaces. And, staff will be accommodated with new areas, too. They will also have more area to schedule appointments and provide supporting materials for patients.
Some areas will look very similar, in fact, Rens said, and that will be by design.
Along its journey here, Solutions has become a vital partner for the STMA community. Several counselors work with area schools, including St. Michael-Albertville School District. Rens has also been a part of the United Way and Family Youth Community Connections (FYCC) during his time here in St. Michael.
“It’s been a really great home for us,” Rens said of the St. Michael community. “I think it’s going to be exciting to see where we all go from here.”
NWCT will have more from Solutions – including grand opening events, on its website in the future. Stay tuned!