Washburn Center for Children
Washburn Center for Children is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit founded in 1883 that provides outpatient children's mental health services across the Twin Cities via nearly 200 clinicians embedded in 60+ schools, plus homes, clinics, and hospitals, serving 4,000+ children annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1883
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Washburn Center for Children does
Washburn Center for Children is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1883 that delivers the broadest spectrum of outpatient children's mental health services in Minnesota. The organization serves children from infancy through adolescence across the Twin Cities via nearly 200 community-based clinicians working in four delivery settings: families' homes, 60+ partner schools, outpatient clinics, and hospitals (including an acute response placement in Children's Minnesota emergency departments). Service modalities include outpatient therapy, intensive in-home services, family-focused therapy, DBT groups, day treatment, crisis stabilization with 24-hour on-call coverage across the 11-county metro, the WARM acute response model, psychological testing and assessments, and case management. Clinically, Washburn relies on evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches including EMDR, TF-CBT, and DBT, together with its internally developed Developmental Repair Model for childhood trauma.
The business model blends fee-for-service reimbursement with philanthropic support. Insurance and government programs (Medicaid and state plans) are the primary payer stream, but the organization explicitly states that reimbursement rates cover only approximately 60% of the cost of care, creating a structural funding gap filled by individual, corporate, and foundation donations. A notable $1.35 million gift from Medica in October 2024 is earmarked for school-based program expansion, and additional capacity is anchored by the Otto Bremer Trust, the Greater Twin Cities United Way, and the Klibanoff and Pierotti family endowment. A secondary revenue stream comes from the Training Institute, which delivers Mental Health First Aid courses, professional development, and facility rentals.
Operationally, Washburn is governed by an independent Board of Trustees (chaired by Steven L. Pinney) and led by CEO Craig Warren, the first Black CEO in the agency's history (appointed 2022 after joining as CAO in 2020). The executive team includes Chief Clinical Officer Jenny Britton, Chief Operating Officer Beth Dahline, Chief Development Officer Mary Bennett, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Julie Carver, VP of Culture Dr. Kathryn Coleman, and Director of Equity & Inclusion Christine Smith. More than 55% of clients identify as BIPOC, and services are delivered in English, Spanish, and Somali. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no equity funding history beyond disclosed philanthropic grants.
Washburn Center for Children firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Washburn Center for Children
- Legal name
- Washburn Center for Children
- Website
- https://washburn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1883
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Washburn Center for Children is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit founded in 1883 that provides outpatient children's mental health services across the Twin Cities via nearly 200 clinicians embedded in 60+ schools, plus homes, clinics, and hospitals, serving 4,000+ children annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Washburn Center for Children industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Mental Health Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)
Keywords
Where Washburn Center for Children is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Washburn Center for Children business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Insurance and Government Reimbursement: Services reimbursed through insurance and state programs. Stalled reimbursement rates cover approximately 60% of the cost of serving children and families, creating funding gaps filled by donations.
- Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. Major gift of $1.35 million from Medica for school-based program expansion.
- Training Institute Revenue: Fee-based training programs including Mental Health First Aid Training and rental of training facility space.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ Recurring | Donation tiers from $25 to $5,000 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Washburn Center for Children product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Washburn Center for Children is a nonprofit mental health agency delivering a continuum of outpatient children's mental health services from infancy through the teen years. Services include school-based therapy (embedded in 60+ Twin Cities schools), crisis stabilization with 24-hour on-call access, outpatient therapy, intensive in-home services, day treatment, family therapy, DBT groups, testing/assessments, and professional training through its Training Institute. Care is delivered in homes, schools, clinics, and hospital settings.
Product overview
Washburn Center for Children provides a comprehensive continuum of outpatient children's mental health services in Minnesota, offering both direct therapeutic services and professional training. Direct services include School-based therapy (embedded in approximately 60+ schools across Twin Cities), Crisis Stabilization (24-hour access across 11 county metro area), Day Treatment (therapeutic classrooms), Intensive In-Home services, Outpatient Therapy, Family Focused therapy, DBT Groups, Case Management, WARM acute response, and Testing/Assessments. The Training Institute provides Mental Health First Aid Training and professional development for clinicians. All services serve children from infants through teens and are delivered in homes, schools, clinics, and hospital settings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Case Management Coordination service helping children and families access community resources such as food and shelter through ongoing support and advocacy.
- Crisis Stabilization Immediate mental health support providing 24-hour on-call access throughout the 11 county metro area for families experiencing mental health crises.
- Day Treatment Therapeutic classroom program providing structured mental health treatment during school hours for children who need more intensive support than outpatient therapy.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Groups Skills-based group therapy program teaching emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness to children and teens.
- Family Focused Therapy Therapeutic program engaging the entire family system to address mental health challenges and strengthen family relationships and communication.
- Intensive In-Home Services Short-term, intensive mental health services delivered in the family's home to stabilize crises and build family coping skills.
- Outpatient Therapy Regular scheduled therapy sessions providing individual, family, and group therapy for children experiencing mental health challenges.
- Outreach Community engagement services connecting families to mental health resources and providing education about mental health issues.
- School-based Services Therapists embedded directly in schools across Twin Cities districts including Minneapolis, Bloomington, Columbia Heights, Eden Prairie, and Burnsville-Savage-Eagan, providing on-site mental health support to students and school staff.
- WARM (Washburn Acute Response Model) Crisis response service providing immediate therapeutic intervention and family support during mental health emergencies.
- Testing and Assessments Comprehensive psychological and developmental evaluations to assess children's mental health needs and inform treatment planning.
- Training Institute Professional development and training programs including Mental Health First Aid Training, community forums, and continuing education for mental health professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- 145 students from Burnsville received mental health care in 2023
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Washburn Center for Children
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Washburn Center for Children technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Washburn Center for Children partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Children's MinnesotacorePartnership to address boarding of children experiencing mental health crises in Twin Cities emergency rooms. Washburn Center hired an acute response therapist to provide direct counseling and family support services, aiming to reduce hospital stay times and improve care continuity.
- Columbia Heights School DistrictcoreSchool district partnership bringing Washburn Center therapists directly into schools to serve students and staff with mental health support. This is the latest addition to over 60 schools in similar partnerships across the Twin Cities.
- University of MinnesotaminorUniversity researchers released evidence that school-based mental health services directly impact outcomes for students. Washburn's model aligns with research findings on effectiveness of school-based interventions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Washburn Center for Children competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Children's Minnesota: Pediatric acute care hospital system and Washburn's hospital partner. Comparable Twin Cities children's health footprint and adjacent behavioral health mission, but operates acute inpatient rather than community-based outpatient therapy.
- McLean Hospital: Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital offering specialty child and adolescent inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs. Broader incumbent in children's mental health with academic research orientation overlapping Washburn's training and trauma-treatment focus.
Others
- Medica: Regional health plan and Washburn donor providing the $1.35M gift for school-based expansion. Adjacent payer/funder rather than service peer, but materially shapes Washburn's reimbursement and philanthropic economics.
- Greater Twin Cities United Way: Regional nonprofit funder and convening partner that channels philanthropic capital to children's mental health and family services. Comparable as a Twin Cities nonprofit ecosystem participant and Washburn partner/funder, but not a direct service competitor.
Direct peers
- Boys Town: National nonprofit serving children and families through in-home services, residential care, school-based programs, and crisis intervention. Highly comparable nonprofit operating model and service continuum.
- KVC Health Systems: Nonprofit child welfare and behavioral health system providing in-home family services, outpatient therapy, and residential care across multiple states. Comparable as a multi-service nonprofit serving children and families with mental and behavioral health needs.
- Child Mind Institute: Independent nonprofit dedicated to children's mental health, providing clinical care, research, and education. Comparable nonprofit pediatric mental health mission, training institute, and school/family-facing service mix.
- PrairieCare: Minnesota-based psychiatric and mental health provider serving children, adolescents, and young adults with outpatient, residential, and acute services. Most directly comparable Twin Cities peer to Washburn's outpatient pediatric mental health model.
- Rogers Behavioral Health: Specialty mental health system operating residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs across the U.S., with strong pediatric mental health offerings. Comparable to Washburn as a specialty outpatient pediatric mental health provider with trauma-informed and evidence-based modalities.
- Brightside Behavioral Health: Outpatient mental health provider offering therapy and psychiatry to children and adults, with school-based and telehealth delivery. Comparable outpatient pediatric therapy model with similar evidence-based modality approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Washburn Center for Children social profiles
Digital presenceWashburn Center for Children financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Washburn Center for Children leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Washburn Center for Children funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Washburn Center for Children M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Washburn Center for Children
What does Washburn Center for Children do?
Washburn Center for Children is a nonprofit mental health agency delivering a continuum of outpatient children's mental health services from infancy through the teen years. Services include school-based therapy (embedded in 60+ Twin Cities schools), crisis stabilization with 24-hour on-call access, outpatient therapy, intensive in-home services, day treatment, family therapy, DBT groups, testing/assessments, and professional training through its Training Institute. Care is delivered in homes, schools, clinics, and hospital settings.
Is Washburn Center for Children a public or private company?
Washburn Center for Children is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Washburn Center for Children founded?
Washburn Center for Children was founded in 1883. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Washburn Center for Children based?
Washburn Center for Children is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Washburn Center for Children make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Insurance and Government Reimbursement is the primary driver. The others are donations and Grants and training Institute Revenue.
Who are Washburn Center for Children's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Children's Minnesota and McLean Hospital. Others are Medica and Greater Twin Cities United Way. Direct peers are Boys Town, KVC Health Systems, Child Mind Institute, PrairieCare, Rogers Behavioral Health and Brightside Behavioral Health.
Does Washburn Center for Children have an API?
No public API is recorded for Washburn Center for Children.
What industry is Washburn Center for Children in?
Washburn Center for Children's product category is Children's Mental Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAJAL, Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP). Its NAICS code is 621330 and its SIC code is 8000.