Alumni Update: MNLEND Fellow Expands Practice

Amal Mohumed (MNLEND 2019–20) recently opened a second location for her multi-lingual mental health therapy practice, Comfort Therapeutic Services LLC.  

The new location in northeast Minneapolis offers center-based Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention services for children with autism spectrum disorder or related conditions who are served by Minnesota Care or other qualifying health care programs. Comfort Therapeutic’s other location in Brooklyn Center will remain open, offering Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports and adult psychotherapy services.

“Seeing the lack of providers who looked like the families they were serving was what drove us to open. Growing up in Cedar-Riverside, I’ve long seen the lack of services in the community,” Mohumed said.

Another part of Mohumed’s background served her well in the venture. The University of Minnesota graduate worked in human resources and recruiting for a variety of companies, including Medtronic, before founding her company in 2018. That experience helped prepare her for the difficult task of recruiting therapy providers in a tight labor market.

“Lately, finding providers has been the biggest struggle,” she said. “There was also a time when it was difficult to find families to sign up for services, but with this move we will have a larger space and are excited about what we can offer. We are planning to provide internship opportunities in 2022 for students who are in applied behavior analysis programs, as well as students who are planning to become mental health professionals.”

She said her MNLEND experience helped her view each family as a unique entity, a perspective that helped form the mission of her practice, which is to provide person-centered care and a tailored service plan to each family, so that they feel heard and understood by their provider.  

“It’s easy to say you’re providing services to the Somali community or the African American community, but my time at LEND allowed me to look at each individual and each family and tailor services that fit them from their own perspective,” she said. “My experience allowed me to broaden my understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders and working in interdisciplinary teams. It also provided an opportunity to build a professional network of individuals who are passionate about providing care to underprivileged communities.”