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Minnesota Adoption Support and Preservation
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Regional Adoption Resources

NORTH EAST REGION

Marilyn Gow – Parent Liaison
marilyngow@hotmail.com



  Counties Social Services Phone #s

Cook

218-387-3620

Lake

218-834-8400

 

1-800-450-8832

St. Louis

218-726-2097



Quick Index
  1. Adoption/Kinship/Parenting Supports
  2. Behavioral/Special Needs Supports (Mental Health)
  3. Education Supports
  4. Crisis/Respite Care Supports
  5. Therapists

Adoption/Kinship/Parenting Supports

MN Kinship Caregivers Association (MKCA)
See listing of Host Agencies and Kinship Network.

Host Agencies are the regional contact point for inquires from and for grandparents, other relatives, and close family friends who are raising children. The Host Agencies reach out to relative caregivers within the designated area with the assistance of local collaborative partners. They accept program inquiries within their area; implement monthly Grand Kin workshops, which will include educational and peer support elements throughout their region and refer caregivers to one-to-one support of mentors.

The Kinship Network includes support groups that are not designated Host Agencies, but may work collaboratively with the Host Agencies in providing support to the caregivers of children.

1600 University Avenue West, Suite 302
St. Paul, MN 55104
651-917-4640
www.mkca.org

Contact a Regional Service Agency for information on services closest to your home or work at www.mkca.org/support.html

Kinship Caregivers Resource Manual: "Legal Steps",
provides information for any caregivers or kin who are considering taking a child into their care. Find it at:
www.mkca.org/legal.html

Another helpful manual is "First Steps: Getting Started Raising Relatives’ Children". Developed for grandparents and others raising relatives’ children:
www.mkca.org/raising.html

AEOA-ROCK Program
702 Third Ave S
Virginia, MN 55792
Marcia Mehle
1-800-748-7354
1-218-749-2912 ext. 254
mmehle@AEOA.org

Duluth Area Support Group
Marilyn Gow
marilyngow@hotmail.com
218-525-0664 or 866-302-2211

Duluth - Birth Parent Support Group
218-733-2356

Duluth - Children of the Dragon
Jill Dalbacka
218-525-4906

Families First
Fond du Lac Human Services Division
211 W. 4th St.
Duluth, MN 55806
218/726-1370

Fond du Lac Center for American Indian Resources
211 West Fourth Street
Duluth, MN 55806

Kids Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 3202
Duluth, MN 55880
218/722-5326

Legal Aid Service
424 West Superior St.
Duluth, MN 55802
218/726-4800

Legal Aid Service
820 N. Ninth St.
Olcott Plaza
Virginia, MN 55782
218/749-3270

Behavioral/Special Needs Supports (Mental Health)

Arc Northland’s Extreme Parenting – Duluth
Extreme Parenting is available to all caregivers of children with emotional/behavioral differences. It is an entire family, parent to parent support and educational group.

Moms Group – HDC and ARC Northland
1st Wednesday 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Last Wednesday 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
All at Ordean Building, 424 West Superior Street, Suite 201, Duluth, MN 55802

Whole Family Support Groups -- groups include a light meal for the whole family and childcare
2nd Thursday 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church 602 15th Ave, Two Harbors
3rd Thursday 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Lester Park Community Club, 106 N 54th Ave E, Duluth
4th Monday 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Superior Public Library, 1530 Tower Ave., Superior WI
4th Saturday 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. at Hermantown Family Resource Center, 5028 Miller Trunk Highway, Hermantown

Parents Only Group
Coffee and cookies, no child care
2nd Tuesday 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – First United Baptist Church, 9th Ave. E and 1st Street, Duluth

FASD Support Group
4th Tuesday – 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.– Hermantown Family Resource Center 5028 Miller Trunk Highway, Hermantown
Must register for food and childcare – call ARC Northland 218-726-4725 or e-mail arcnorthland.org

North Shore Collaborative
421 Seventh St
Two Harbors, MN 55616
Phone: 218-834-8258 ext. 8258

Duluth Area Family Services Collaborative
310 N 1st Ave W
Duluth, MN 55806
Phone: 320-589-1250

Lake County Youth Development Council
616 Third Ave.
Two Harbors, MN 55616

The Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health
165 Western Avenue, Suite 2
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 644-7333; (800) 528-4511 (In MN)
E-mail: dsaxhaug@macmh.org
Web: www.macmh.org

Northern St. Louis Family Services Collaborative
1701 North 9th Ave
Virginia, MN 55792
Phone: 218-749-8130

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Assessment

ARC Northland - FASD Support Groups, Assessment, Training
Services for the residents of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. Diagnostic services are provided by a seven-person comprehensive team of professionals. ARC sponsors two caregiver support groups for those who are caring for individuals with FASD. The groups meet in Duluth and Cloquet.
424 W Superior Street
201 Ordean Building
Duluth, MN 55802
218-726-4725 or 800-317-6475
218-726-4732 Fax
Reenie Engstrom, Coordinator
Lynne R. Frigaard, Administrator

www.arcminnesota.com

ARC Minnesota
provides advocacy and support for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Services include technical assistance, educational programs for parents and resource center with a lending video library. ARC’s Bemidji office operates a Assistive Technology Lending Library and sponsors clinics and training sessions on assistive technology.

The Arc of Minnesota provides chapter support to local Arc chapters in a number of areas, including developing support services, sponsoring workshops, fundraising, training leaders, and monitoring local services for people with developmental disabilities.

770 Transfer Rd., Suite 26, St. Paul, Minnesota 55114
651-523-0823; toll-free 1-800-582-5256
E-mail address: mail@arcminnesota.com

Fetal Alcohol Diagnostic Program
Provides FASD diagnostic services for children up to age 17.
424 West Superior Street, Suite 400v Duluth MN 55802
218-726-4858
www.fadpmn.org

Human Development Center
Two Harbors  -- 629 First Avenue  -- 218-834-5520
Silver Bay  -- 99 Edison Blvd  -- 218-226-4443
Grand Marais  -- 208 First Avenue West  -- 218-387-9444
Duluth  -- 1401 East First Street  -- 218-728-4491

HaysKids
A non-profit, educational, assisted living center for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
218-376-4501
Cook, MN
www.hayskids.com

MCSHN-MDH
does assessment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Serves Eveleth, Willmar and Virginia.
102 South Elba Avenue
Eveleth, MN 55734-1644
Contact MN Children with special health needs and information line: 1-800-728-5420
or Susan Stubblebine: 218-744-3483

FAS Assessment Clinic-Pediatric Psychology
University Gateway, Suite 160
200 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Pi-Nian Chang, Ph.D
612-626-3087



Education Supports

PACER Center
PACER Center expands opportunities and enhances the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents. PACER helps parents to work with schools to attain special education services as proscribed through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). PACER offers:

  • Resources for information and advocacy on issues of special educational needs of children
  • Classes on what parents need to know about IEPs and 504 Plans.
  • Support groups and an in-house lending library for children with learning disabilities.
  • The PACER newsletter, THE PACESETTER, contains ongoing information and legislative updates.
  • PACER offers training seminars on a number of issues related to parenting and the newest adaptive technology. They will provide an advocate to attend I.E.P. meetings.
8161 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55437-1044
Voice: 952-838-9000, toll-free: 1-800-537-2237
Fax, 962-838-0199
E-mail: pacer@pacer.org
Website: www.pacer.org

Bullying Prevention
PACER bullying prevention web site: www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org, helps second through sixth-graders find ways to respond to and to prevent bullying. Includes games, videos with celebrities and real-life kids, cartoons, polls, artwork and much more. Geared for all children, the site includes children with disabilities who can be particularly vulnerable to bullying.

Minnesota Department of Education, Division of Special Education
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
(651) 582-8289; (651) 582-8201 (TTY)
E-mail: norena.hale@state.mn.us
Web: Special Education Division

Minnesota Special Education Website
Special Education

Minnesota Special Education Compliance
Compliance

Minnesota Special Education Complaints
Special Education Complaints

Lowell Elementary School
is recognized for being supportive of the needs of adopted children and children who have been diagnosed with FASD.
Monte Wittmann, principal
2000 Rice Lake Road
Duluth, MN 55811
(218)733-2164



Crisis/Respite Care Supports

NAMI-Minnesota (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)
Throughout Minnesota, NAMI-MN and its local affiliates have people working to better the lives of people affected by biological brain disorders. NAMI-MN encourages people to join at a local affiliate level and reminds people that membership at any level means membership at all levels -local, state, and national. Please contact the affiliate nearest you for additional information or contact the NAMI-MN office at 651-645-2948 or 1-888-473-0237
nami-mn@nami.org
mn.nami.org/local.aspxl to find local affiliates

Violence Prevention Center
P. O. Box 134
Grand Marais, MN 55604
218-387-1262
Crisis Hotline: 218-387-1237
After hours: 218-387-3030

MILLER DWAN MEDICAL CENTER (MDMC)
24-hour Crisis Intervention Hotline
(888) 826-0099
www.miller-dwan.com/about.aspx



Therapists

Disclaimer

The use of the information on this site is strictly up to the discretion of the user. MN ASAP has not investigated and does not endorse the resources listed on this Website; MN ASAP is not responsible for the contents of any outside sites through any external links provided; nor are the links an endorsement of the external site as to quality, accuracy or completeness.

Parents should carefully choose a therapist based on the individual needs of their family. For more information, please see the MN ASAP fact sheets:

Choosing a Therapist
Adoption-Competent Therapist Traits

Working with an Adoption Therapist



Mary J. Carpenter, MSED, L.P. Virginia FASD, Behavioral Strategies, Play therapy and individual and family therapy
Paul Goossens, MA, LP Duluth Psychologist experienced with youth, families: ADHD, FASD, Sexuality, evaluation, mood and behavior disorder
Raymone Kral, PhD, LP, LMFT, LICSW Duluth Adoption and families w RAD children. Individuals, families, couples – general psychotherapy
Barbara Weller, LICSW, MSW Duluth Individual, Family, Psychotherapy: Clinical Supervision – children, adolescents and adults
Mary (Mimi) Young, SA, Psy.D., LP Grand Marais Cultural and ethnic minorities (Latinos and American Indians), children, bipolar disorder, diagnostics