Dr. Christopher Babbitt - WWH Departure

After 35 years delivering mental health services in the St Croix Valley, Dr. Chris Babbitt will be hanging up his counseling shingle to embark on new adventures come June 1st. ?

Dr. Babbitt started his career with Ramsey Clinic in Baldwin in 1988 where he was welcomed by such professionals as Reid Berger, Dr. Kathy Farah, and so many others. He reflects it was cutting edge to have behavioral health embedded with medical providers.?

At that same time, Dr. Babbitt also rotated to Osceola Medical Center, working alongside Dr. John Simenstad. As well as at Amery Clinic with Dr. Ken Galewyrick. He knows he was truly fortunate to begin working in this area with such forward-thinking, supportive medical colleagues.

In 1989, he, along with his clinical social worker spouse, Peg Audley, started their own state certified outpatient mental health clinic in New Richmond, “Northwest Counseling Services”.?Again, they were welcomed into the medical center of Holy Family Hospital by Don and Alice Michaels, and they began what would become one of the largest and long-standing mental health agencies in the Valley, with multiple therapists’ serving clients throughout the age span.

Twenty-two years later, they joined with Baldwin Area Medical Center in June of 2011.?Presently, the behavioral team provides psychiatric care counseling services and mental health therapy at both the Baldwin and Roberts Western Wisconsin Health (WWH) facilities.

Dr. Babbitt’s clinical focus has primarily been children, teens, and families.?He was inspired to work with kids by his mother, author Natalie Babbitt, who wrote many books for young adults, most famously “Tuck Everlasting”.?As he puts it, “she always thought children were too discounted for their insight into life and needed to be listened to, for they had so much to say”.

His influence in the child arena resulted in school-based behavioral health programs in the Baldwin-Woodville School District, working with such experts as Mary Sue Ash, Paul Hambleton, Carol Lebo, Kelli Larson and many more who assisted to embrace the mental health needs being met in the school setting.

WWH’s CEO, Eilidh Pederson, shares, ‘We are grateful for the service provided by Dr. Babbitt and the pioneering work he has done in the field of mental health. Dr. Babbitt has not only cared for patients but has also supported WWH employees through the challenges they face during the struggles of medicine. He will be missed and has left a legacy that will be continued”. Morgan Miller, WWH licensed professional counselor, says Dr. Babbitt played an integral role in the beginning of her practice as a therapist working with children. She states, “His knowledge of the field of mental health is truly inspiring! He led the Behavioral Health team for many years and helped many other therapists, clients, staff, and mental health professionals. As someone new to the field of mental health when starting at WWH, Dr. Babbitt showed me so much about how I too can help the clients we serve and grow as a therapist myself. His incredible work with forensic psychology has created a name for himself and for WWH in the region; he is a true leader in the field. I have so much appreciation for the help he has given me throughout my career. I look forward to sharing the knowledge he has given me with future therapists and continuing the inspiring trend he has created.”?

When asked what has changed for children and youth’s mental health needs through the decades of his career, Dr. Babbitt replied, “what children need has not changed, the basic needs to grow up happy and healthy have not changed; beyond food, shelter and clothing, they also need love, trust and connection to adults around them, a sense of safety and predictability, so when things get difficult, they are more resilient to the challenges that they might face.

As he reflects on his career in the St Croix Valley, he remains hopeful. He believes the stigma around mental health has lessened, there are more therapists entering the field to work with younger populations, and integration with medical health is slowly becoming more a reality - all of this will continue to improve children’s mental health.

Western Wisconsin Health wishes Dr. Babbitt well in the next chapters of his life knowing he has left his mark on hundreds of clients and their families through the decades; we thank him for the positive difference he has made on our communities for generations to come. ?