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Minnesota Adoption Support and Preservation
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Regional Adoption Resources

WEST CENTRAL REGION

Dawn Johnson – Parent Liaison
320-763-3144     800-728-1736 (toll free)
dawnjohnson@charter.net



  Counties Social Services Phone #s

Big Stone           

320-839-2555

Douglas

320-762-3827

Grant

218-685-4417

Otter Tail

218-998-8150

Pope

320-634-5750

Stevens

320-589-7400

Swift

320-843-3160

Todd

320-732-4500

Traverse

320-563-8255

Wadena

218-631-7605

Wilkin

218-643-7161

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

Douglas County
Barb Fischer 320-763-3144
800-728-1736 – toll free

Ottertail County Foster/Adoptive Parents
Barb Fischer 320-763-3144
800-728-1736 – toll free

Fergus Falls - Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Children's Corner
120 W Everett
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Tammy, 218-739-2847

Wadena County
Barb Fischer 320-763-3144
800-728-1736 – toll free

Child & Youth Council
A Family Services Collaborative

c/o WCA North Elementary School
411 First St SE
Elbow Lake MN 56531
Phone : 218-685-4587

Behavioral/Special Needs Supports (Mental Health)

Arc West Central
Arc West Central serves the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Norman, Otter Tail, and Wilkin.
President: Shannon Bock
Executive Director: Candace Richards
810 4th Avenue South - #141; Moorhead, MN, 56560
(218) 233-5949 or 1-800-411-0124; Fax: (218) 233-0853
E-mail: arccc@fargocity.com

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

Center for Self-Growth and Renewal
Margo Larsen, Psychologist
600 DeMers Avenue, Suite 404
Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 746-4400
Fax; (701) 746-6034
Assessment behavior Intervention consultation with schools.

Child and Youth Council of Grant County
411 First St SE
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
Phone: 218-685-4587

Douglas County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative
419 N Nokomis
Alexandria, MN 56308
Phone: 320-763-5559

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

Otter Tail Family Services Collaborative
530 W. Fir Avenue
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Phone: 218-736-7251

Parent Partnership Project
Carolyn Ouradnik
910 Ash Ave NE
Wadena, MN 56482
1-877-352-6772 toll free
E-mail: ouradnik@brainerd.net
Fax: 218-631-3588
One to one parent support, small group and retreat trainings, assistance with and at meetings, information about local and state services. No cost to parents.

Pope County Family Collaborative
219 1st St SE
Glenwood, MN 56334
Phone: 320-634-3909

Stevens County Family Services
600 Columbia Ave
Morris, MN 56267
Phone: 320-589-1250

Todd County Collaborative for Children and Families
1100 5th St NE, Suite 2
Staples, MN 56479
Phone: 218-894-2439, ext. 139

Traverse County Connections
203 8th St N
Wheaton, MN 56296
Phone: 320-563-4230

Wadena County Family Services Collaborative
22 Dayton Ave SE
Wadena, MN 56482
Phone: 218-631-7632

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Assessment

Lakewood Health System
401 Prairie Ave E
Staples, MN 56479
Tristen Lee
218-894-8380
218-894-0338 fax

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 Complaints
Special Education Complaints

Crisis/Respite Care Supports

Douglas County Hospital, Mental Health Unit
Phone: 320-762-2400

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
www.nami.org to find local affiliates

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



Monique Sebring Avant, M.Ed., LICSW Alexandria  
Jonelle Bollig, MS Alexandria  
Cathy Hjelle, B.A. M.A. Fargo Family therapy; Child/Adolescent therapy; Attachment Disorder; Mood Related issues including depression and anxiety
Nate Larsen, Ph.D. Glenwood Families, children, couples
Claudia Liljegren, LICSW Glenwood Working with children and adults, family and marital therapy, dysfunctional family involvement