Introducing Rob Lynett, Saint Paul Public Library Mental Health Professional

The Saint Paul Public Library partners with People Incorporated to support community members in accessing community resources that are important to them by having a full-time mental health professional in library spaces. Since March 2025, Rob Lynett, MA, LPCC has served in this role, connecting patrons to a variety of community resources based on their needs, which can vary from mental health to substance use to housing services and more. 

Rob works out of Rondo Community Library on Mondays and Wednesdays, and George Latimer Central Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Find out more about his schedule here:  https://sppl.org/lmhp/

Rob’s goal is to engage with patrons and connect them to resources.  This can include completing comprehensive evaluations to make referrals for mental/chemical health support, as well as helping navigating housing or food supports. Rob also works with the library safety specialists to identify patrons who may benefit from mental/chemical health support, build rapport with those patrons, and coordinate appropriate care.  His favorite part of his job is “being in the space – connecting with people face to face in an inviting space where they’re comfortable.” On some days at Rondo Community or George Latimer Central, Rob tables as part of the Community Resource Outreach Project (CROP), a library program aimed at offering coordinated access to library services, medical providers, homeless outreach, Ramsey County resources, the Humane Society, and other organizations providing community resources all in one place. 

Rob is also available for things as simple as trying to help patrons with library tasks like faxing documents for services. (Free faxing is available at all libraries!)

Another part of Rob’s job is supporting library staff. He leads and coordinates staff trainings on mental and chemical health resources, offers onsite consultation support, and helps staff to debrief together to keep lines of communication open. He has great respect for “how each branch serves their respective community’s needs, which are evolving all the time.” Rob has been astonished by the array of programs, services and resources the libraries offer. “It’s a space for people to do life,” which is why People Incorporated has embedded a mental health professional in the libraries.

Thanks to his proximity to thousands of library materials, Rob has been “dipping his toe in” to recreational reading by getting into comic books.  Spiderman is a favorite.  Other recreational interests include getting outside; going to parks with his family, walking the dog and even mowing the lawn provide him with needed nature breaks.  He also builds with LEGO sets as a relaxing hands-on activity.

Rob came to the Twin Cities from Milwaukee to attend the University of Minnesota, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He also holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas and is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor through the state of Minnesota. Before joining Saint Paul Public Library, he worked with RADIAS Health for over 17 years, starting in group homes and expanding to community treatment and assertive community treatment. Rob always hoped for a career focused on helping people, and the Saint Paul Public Library is a great fit for his interest and skill in building connections with people and meeting their needs.

For more information about the Saint Paul Public Library, visit https://sppl.org.  For more information about the more than 100 public libraries in the seven-county Twin Cities metro, visit https://www.melsa.org/member-libraries/