LAC

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What is a Local Mental Health Advisory Council (LAC)?

A Local Mental Health Advisory Council (LAC) offers individuals, parents, families, community service providers and community members the opportunity to make a real difference in how mental health care is provided in their community. LACs allow people to share their first-hand experiences with mental health challenges with county and state policymakers for the purpose of improving mental health care in their communities.

Every county in Minnesota is required to have a LAC. A county may have both an adult and a children’s mental health LAC, or they may be combined.

Explore these resources to learn more.

When and where are the LAC meetings in Region V+?

Aitkin County 
When: Second Tuesday of every month
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Place: Aitkin United Methodist Church
104 2nd Street NW, Aitkin, MN 56431 (see map)
Virtual: To attend via Zoom, please request an invitation by emailing Connie at: connie.smetana@co.aitkin.mn.us

Crow Wing County 
When: Third Monday of every month
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Place: Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
716 E. St. NE, Brainerd, MN 56401 (see map)

Morrison County 
When: Third Tuesday of odd months
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: Morrison County Social Services
213 1st Ave. SE, Little Falls, MN 56345 (see map)

Todd County 
When: Third Wednesday of odd months
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Historic Todd County Courthouse (Prairie Conference Room)
212 2nd Ave S, Long Prairie, MN 56347 (see map)

Regional LAC Meetings
When: Third Thursday of the third month of each quarter (March, June, September, December)
Additional information:
Email Carmon Thelen, Regional LAC Chair, at: vol.coord.crisisline@brainerd.net

What are the benefits of LACs?

  • LACs empower individuals with lived experiences of mental health challenges and their families
  • Active, productive, and effective LACs can lead to the improvement of the local mental health system and services for the community
  • LACs offer advice on the local mental health system on what is and is not working
  • Counties can utilize LACs to advise them on a range of mental health related topics, such as improving their local mental health and social services systems
  • Counties, county boards, and community leaders use LACs to advise them on a range of mental health topics, such as improving their local mental health and social services systems

Who serves on a LAC?

An adult LAC includes:

  • At least one person with mental health challenge
  • One family member of an adult with mental health challenge
  • One mental health professional
  • One community support services program representative

A children’s LAC includes:

  • At least one person who was in a mental health program as a child or adolescent
  • At least one parent of a child or adolescent with severe emotional disturbance
  • One children’s mental health professional
  • Representatives of minority populations of significant size residing in the county
  • Representative of the children’s mental health local coordinating council
  • One family community support services program representative
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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 219
Staples, MN 56479


Crisis Line


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