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In a philanthropic move that breaks with its traditional giving guidelines, Securian Financial has donated $1 million to Children’s Minnesota hospitals to support its new 22-bed inpatient mental health unit in St. Paul.

The gift from the St. Paul-based insurance and financial planning giant represents the first major corporate backing to the hospital’s expanded mental health program at 345 Smith Ave. The new unit — the health system’s first, and the first in the east metro to serve kids under 12 years old — is expected to care for more than 1,000 patients annually. It will begin serving kids and teens later this fall.

Securian, which is based in St. Paul, said the donation was spurred by a growing sense of urgency. In 2021, Children’s — which operates hospitals in both St. Paul and Minneapolis — saw a 30 percent increase in kids arriving at its emergency departments in mental health crises. Other hospital systems have reported similar upticks.

“When you see the numbers and hear the stories, it’s devastatingly clear that we are facing an unprecedented crisis right now with our kids and their mental health,” said Nicole Hansen, executive director of the Securian Financial Foundation, in a statement. “So many people, including our employees and customers, have children experiencing mental health crises. Even though this donation to Children’s technically falls outside of our current giving guidelines, we feel strongly that we have an obligation to step up and help our community on this critical issue.”

The move is a departure from Securian’s traditional giving. Their charitable contributions are usually focused on youth development, promoting financially stable communities and community vibrancy, mostly the arts.

The new inpatient mental health unit will be one of the few in the state equipped to care for children with complex medical conditions. It will feature 22 private rooms with enough space to allow parents to stay overnight with their child, as well as designs focused on natural light, sensory-friendly spaces and safe access to the outdoors.

“As a nonprofit, the commitment of remarkable business supporters like Securian Financial is vital to ensuring our kid experts can deliver the mental health care our patients deserve,” said Jenny Soderholm, senior vice president, chief development officer and president of the Children’s Minnesota Foundation, in the statement. “We could not do this critical work without our donor community.”

Children’s, the seventh-largest pediatric health system in the nation, maintains two hospitals and 12 primary and specialty care clinics in Minnesota, in addition to seven rehabilitation sites.Related Articles Local News | Texas real estate company buys Har Mar Mall in Roseville for $50 million Local News | Dow sinks to 2022 low as recession fears roil world markets Local News | Sunrise Banks to double ‘impact’ lending to small businesses, underserved communities Local News | Lunds & Byerlys to open expanded Highland Park store with 30 self-serve beer taps Local News | Viking Mississippi cancels some cruise passengers four days ahead of departure

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