 The Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Transition to Community Mentoring Program was supported by Grant No. 2005-JL-FX-0035, awarded by the Office of Civil Rights, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
Program Description:
In an attempt to help support youth and their families leaving residential care the Transition to Community Mentoring Program (TCMP) was designed. DBGR will train mentors in communities in which youth will be returning to after discharge from residential care. Youth are matched with adult role models in their community with the goal of assisting and supporting the youth in meeting their goals. The length of this relationship will last approximately six months or as determined by need. The program is projected to serve up to 50 children a year. TCMP focuses on providing youth with positive relationship and support to reduce the likelihood of returned
Getting to Know the Program:
The decision if a youth would benefit by being matched with a mentor is based on the collaborative teamwork that occurs in the wraparound process. The wraparound process is a philosophy of care that includes a definable planning process involving the child & family that results in an unique set of community services and natural supports individualized for a child and family to achieve a positive set of outcomes (Promising Practices in Children’s Mental Health Systems of Care, 1998 Series). All youth and their families will be involved in this process. The decision if a youth will be matched with a mentor is determined by the strengths and needs of the youth and family and the desired overarching goal. Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is committed to this process in order to achieve two major outcomes; (1) reduce the length of stay and (2) reduce the likelihood that a child will return to an out of home placement.
An assigned wraparound coordinator from the community or a Dakota Boys and Girls staff that has been trained in this process will assist in building teams that consists of the family, youth (when appropriate), supportive friends, assigned mentor, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch and the home community professionals that are involved with the youth.
The ultimate goal is to bring the necessary people together to develop a single plan of care with comprehensive goals and action steps developed by the family and care providers to best assist the youth. This plan is based on the unique strengths of the child and family and serves to ensure the continuum of care for the child & family.
What is a Mentor:
A mentor will establish a positive relationship with a youth and assist the youth in reaching their identified goals and to foster the youth’s strengths. Benefits of TCMP: 1) Decreased likelihood of youth returning to placement 2) Assistance to continue the skills learned in treatment 3) Positive Role Models 4) Provides a foundation for youth (bullet points under this area include: Listen, Support, Encourage, Care)
Program History:
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch began exploring options for assisting youth after their completion of treatment in 2004. During this review it was determined that providing youth with mentoring services would be beneficial to maintain youth in their home community and decrease the likelihood of their return to out of home placement. At the end of September 2005, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch received a two year grant award for $493,322 within the FY2005 Earmarks from the U. S. Department of Justice. Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is committed to provide mentoring services to youth beyond the awarded grant period and is researching sustainability options.
The Transition to Community Mentoring Program employees one full time Program Coordinator, and three part time Site Coordinators. Currently the Program Coordinator is working towards creating community collaborations to provide mentors for DBGR youth and assisting in the implementation of the program as designed within the grant guidelines. The three Site Coordinators are working to train new mentors and processing referrals within TCMP.
Update: Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch was granted an extension to the mentoring grant through July 2008, and is currently under consideration for an additional extension.
Mentoring Program Contact:
Rachael Disrud
Interim Project Coordinator
Fargo Residential Center
3314 33 ST SW
Fargo ND 58104
Phone: 701-237-3123
(701) 367-6063 cell
Other Mentoring Links:
Transition to Community Mentoring Program Collaborative Agencies
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is so grateful to be working with these agencies, which are helping us to provide mentors for our youth. Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is so grateful to be collaborating with these agencies, which are assisting TCMP to provide positive adult mentors for DBGR youth:
Mentoring Documents
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