Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Campus Programs

Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch (DBGR), Minot was the first and is the largest of the Ranch’s three campuses.  It is a 60-bed facility that provides treatment programs for boys and girls ages 10 to 17.  DBGR, Minot, offers psychiatric residential treatment for emotional and behavioral issues; substance abuse issues; issues related to physical; sexual, and emotional abuse; attention difficulties; autistic spectrum disorders; sexual responsibility issues; and academic difficulties.  Youth receive in-depth individual and group therapy and their families are integrated into treatment through family therapy.  DBGR Minot also offers emergency shelter care and independent living programming.  DBGR, Minot, seeks to provide a spiritual foundation for each resident on an individual basis in a Christian atmosphere.

The alcohol and drug program provides education, prevention, diagnostic assessment, intervention, and support services to residents and their families who are experiencing concerns associated with alcohol and/or drug abuse.

The sexual responsibility program is a treatment program for adolescent males who have behaved in sexually offensive ways and who have been determined to be in need of residential care. These adolescents are best served by intensive, long-term, 24-hour supervised residential care with specific treatment for their sexual and related misbehavior.

Independent living services are available for those youth who are transitioning to independence. These residents are encouraged to learn time- and money-management, be responsible for school, seek part-time employment, become health conscious and medication responsible, keep up their living space, assist with meal preparations, keep up with their laundry and assist with the general upkeep of the facility. They also are encouraged to be involved in the community to practice skills they have learned.

Dakota Memorial School (DMS) is an on-campus school, which provides educational services to approximately 150 at-risk students annually in grades 1-12.   Approximately two-thirds of the students reside in the residential treatment facility while the remaining one-third reside in the community and are enrolled in the Day Program as their educational needs were unable to be met in a public school.  Approximately three-quarters of the students receive special education services.  DMS is accredited by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. All educators are highly qualified and the school awards high school credits and diplomas.

Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Western Plains

Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Western Plains, is a 16-bed facility located in Bismarck, N.D.  This facility provides treatment programs for boys and girls in grades 9 through 12.  Western Plains offers psychiatric residential treatment for emotional and behavioral issues; substance abuse issues; issues related to physical; sexual, and emotional abuse; attention difficulties; autistic spectrum disorders; sexual responsibility issues; and academic difficulties.  Youth receive in-depth individual and group therapy and their families are integrated into treatment through family therapy.  DBGR, Western Plains seeks to provide a spiritual foundation for each resident on an individual basis in a Christian atmosphere.

Independent living services also are available at Western Plains for those youth who are transitioning to independence.  These residents are encouraged to learn time- and money-management, be responsible for school, seek part-time employment, become health conscious and medication responsible, keep up their living space, assist with meal preparations, keep up with their laundry and assist with the general upkeep of the facility. The residents are encouraged to be involved in the community to practice skills they have learned.

Dakota Memorial School-Western Plains is an on-campus school, which is a satellite program of DMS-Minot and provides education services to a maximum of 16 students in grades 9-12 who reside in the Western Plains Residential Treatment facility.  Students earn high school credits and diplomas.

Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Fargo

            At all of the residential facilities, DBGR provides opportunities for safe, age-appropriate indoor and outdoor recreation and play.  Activities are designed to fit the developmental needs of the youth, promote learning opportunities and challenges, focus on building self confidence and self esteem, and to have fun.

Mentoring

In an attempt to help support youth and their families leaving residential care, the Transition to Community Mentoring Program (TCMP) was designed.  The mentoring program focuses on providing youth with positive relationships and support to reduce the future likelihood of return to residential care.

Dakota Family Services (DFS) was introduced in Minot, N.D., in 2005.  This program enables the Ranch’s psychiatrist, psychologists and therapists to work with children and families in the community who need assistance, but do not require residential care.  DFS also enables the Ranch to provide follow up services to the children who received residential care at the Ranch and have transitioned back to their communities.  Since the program’s inception, more than 800 families in the Minot have been helped.  Dakota Family Services has expanded to provide services to the Bismarck and Fargo communities.