River Falls Area Hospital, Part of Allina Health, River Falls, 2022 Community Benefits

Change to Chill School Partnership

CTCSP Interns Support Peers in Schools
Change to Chill (CTC) supports teen mental health by partnering with schools and offering free online stress reduction tips, life balance techniques, and health education services.  To support a culture of wellbeing in local schools, the program has included the Change to Chill School Partnership (CTCSP) since 2018. In 2022, River Falls Area Hospital partnered with seven schools in four districts to bring the Change to Chill Components of CTCSP include staff training on Change to Chill, a paid student internship and funding for a “Chill Zone”—a designated space in the school for students and staff to practice self-care. Evaluations of CTCSP have shown increases in confidence in ability to cope with stress among students who participate in program components. 

“CTCSP allows us to work directly with school staff, counselors, and students to equip them with more tools to de-escalate, identify, and process stress and anxiety more effectively,” said Allina Health’s East Regional Community Benefit & Engagement Manager Brandi Poellinger. “CTCSP student interns help develop the content to ensure CTC activities and messaging addresses their unique needs.”