Ellison Center

06/18/2026

A diagnostic assessment is the first place to start in identifying what therapeutic services might be the best fit. Ellison Center’s assessments provide a comprehensive understanding of each child’s social, emotional, and behavioral development to determine a path for healing.

We tailor our approach to meet the unique circumstances of each client. Our licensed mental health professionals work closely with each child and family to understand parents’ questions, concerns, and worries, while building on each child’s strengths, challenges, and history.

Learn more about our services and reach out with any questions on our website! Our team would love to connect with you and answer any questions you may have!

06/12/2026

This Pride month, Ellison Center is thinking about the children in our waiting room today who will one day identify as LGBTQ+. Research is clear that children who feel genuinely seen, accepted and loved by their caregivers develop stronger emotional foundations that carry them through every stage of life, including how they come to understand their own identity. Early childhood is when those patterns form. The work we do with families right now is protective, not just for today but for the years ahead. Ellison Center serves every child and every family, and we are proud to do so.

06/06/2026

This past Wednesday, our Executive Director, Paul Tatro, had the honor of being present at the game. The focus of the night was . With the support provided by and an auction put on by the St. Cloud Rox, $5,400 was raised to support Ellison Center that night!

The reality is, health insurance companies don’t fully fund clinical costs of the mental health treatments provided at Ellison Center. This is a system-wide problem for any non-profit organization attempting to provide decent levels of mental health care.

For Ellison Center, there is an unreimbursed gap of around $130 per session. This generous donation of $5,400 covers the insurance shortfall on approximately 40 to 45 therapy sessions for young children and their families! This is real clinical time that would otherwise go unfunded, and we are incredibly grateful for the generosity on behalf of those families and very young kids. Thank you St. Cloud Rox and Newport Healthcare for your support of mental health services in Central Minnesota!

06/05/2026

There is still time to join Ellison Center’s Summer 2026 Book Clubs! Learn together with us! Book clubs for both caregivers and professionals working with children begin on June 9th and 11th, and each club lasts for 6 sessions over the summer, 45 minutes each session. Special attention will be given to early years of childhood development.

We are going to be reading through The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors by Robyn Gobbel, and Tuned In by Sophie Schauermann. Pick a book that sounds interesting to you and join with us in these NO-GUILT book clubs. You are invited to join whether you have caught up with the reading for that week or not - we’ll learn with each other as we discuss chapters. Join for all or part of each meeting, and participate at whatever level feels comfortable for you!

A suggested donation for registration is $60 - Scholarships are available!

Find the registration form and more details here ➡️ https://bit.ly/4e5ofIh

Excited to learn with you this summer!

06/04/2026

A profile on our Executive Director, Paul Tatro, with insight into non-profit work and the mental health services that Ellison Center provides for infants and young children in Central Minnesota.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Tatro. Hi Paul, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?I got into nonprofit work the way a lot of people do: not through some grand master plan, but by following the work that felt […]

06/01/2026

Ellison Center is excited to celebrate all of the beautiful and diverse families in our community. You are seen, loved, and safe here! 🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride!

05/28/2026

At times, all caregivers feel lost about what their child might need. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security® Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure caregiver-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

Ellison Center will be offering a Circle of Security Class on Wednesday afternoons from noon to 1:00pm and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, starting June 3rd to July 29th, 2026.

Learning Objectives of the Class:
🔵 Learn to understand your child’s emotional world and needs
🔵 Support your child’s ability to manage emotions
🔵 Enhance development of your child’s self-esteem
🔵 Honor your innate desire for your child to be secure in their relationship with you

Classes in English:
WEDNESDAYS, June 3-July 29 12-1pm or 6:30-7:30pm

Clase en español:
Lunes, Junio 8-Julio 27 6:00-7:30pm

Location: Virtual
Cost: No cost thanks to grant funding!
Who: Parents, Caregivers, Foster Parents, and Guardians
Registration: Scan the QR Code or see links in bio!

05/28/2026

At times, all caregivers feel lost about what their child might need. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security® Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure caregiver-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

Ellison Center will be offering a Circle of Security Class on Wednesday afternoons from noon to 1:00pm and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, starting June 3rd to July 29th, 2026.

Learning Objectives of the Class:

🔵 Learn to understand your child’s emotional world and needs
🔵 Support your child’s ability to manage emotions
🔵 Enhance development of your child's self-esteem
🔵 Honor your innate desire for your child to be secure in their relationship with you

Classes in English:
WEDNESDAYS, June 3-July 29
12-1pm or 6:30-7:30pm

Clase en español:
Lunes, Junio 8-Julio 27
6:00-7:30pm

Location: Virtual
Cost: No cost thanks to grant funding!
Who: Parents, Caregivers, Foster Parents, and Guardians
Registration: Scan the QR Code or see below!

Register for Class in English Here ➡️ https://forms.gle/kPTadPbZVXaaiLy79

Inscribirse en la Clase en Español ➡️ https://forms.gle/xCJT8qQ8t7SFcSoa8

05/25/2026

Both of our locations will be closed today, Monday, May 25th, in honor of Memorial Day. We will be back to our normal hours of operation on May 26th!

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

05/16/2026

This is so exciting! Friends of Ellison Center and fans of the baseball team will be able to support the work we are doing with infant and early childhood mental health!

On June 3rd, in partnership with Newport Healthcare, the St. Cloud Rox are auctioning off special game-worn jerseys that are promoting Mental Health Awareness. Players will wear the special jerseys on Wednesday, June 3.

The auction will be open soon - 100% of all net proceeds will go to benefit Ellison Center.

You can find the link to look at the jerseys here: 2026mentalhealth.afrogs.org/ #/index

We are so grateful for this generosity - can’t wait to see you at the game!