When Chaplain Mike Rusert steps onto the grounds of the Bar None campus, he brings with him years of experience—and a heart committed to healing, spiritual care, and compassion.
“Spiritual care looks like creating and holding a space for healing, freedom, and creativity,” Mike shares.
“It’s about shaping an environment—through genuine curiosity and care—where people sense it’s okay for them to be right where they are. People need to know they’re not going to be judged for what they’ve suffered or done. This allows them to be honest. It opens them to a more compassionate and empowering understanding of their life story and expands their imagination for the story they get to write moving forward.”
Bar None is one of two VOA MN/WI Youth Residential Services (YRS) campuses. YRS provides a nurturing, skill-building environment where youth navigating emotional and behavioral challenges begin healing from trauma. Through individualized care, therapeutic support, and structured programming, youth rebuild their lives with the tools they need to thrive.
Mike’s role at Bar None is a part of his Social Justice Clinical Pastoral Education (SJ CPE) unit. SJ CPE brings together incarcerated men and “outside” students for a transformative educational experience. Students learn together at weekly sessions within Minnesota Correctional Facility-Faribault and put their learnings into action, serving as spiritual care providers either inside the prison or in the community.
Mike’s journey—including previous work with refugees and within correctional settings—has deepened his insight, empathy, and connection. His experiences are interwoven with the SJ CPE program, “CPE has opened my eyes to just how much is possible for any human being,” Mike reflects. “No matter their circumstances—what they’ve done or what’s been done to them—it has gifted me with deep hope and an expectation for the miraculous.”
Debra Hoffman, Director of YRS, reflects on Mike’s impact. “He brings a valuable calmness within the day-to-day business of our programs. The way he approaches every person with care and seeks to understand their story without prejudice or judgment is a rare gift—one that most of our residents have never experienced.”
With every conversation and quiet moment, Mike brings centeredness, compassion, and unconditional acceptance, becoming a beacon of hope for youth navigating their healing journey.