Through a combination of therapeutic and cognitive based programming and behavioral accountability, PLYP Group Homes aim to give young people the tools they need to live a better life.

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Our Philosophy

The Prairie Lakes Youth Programs are greatly concerned for the needs of all children in society and their need for proper care. We believe children need a continuum of care offered to them. We provide a service not available through traditional foster care or institutional care. We have a unique opportunity to provide services to children in need of different aspects of treatment from both resources. We provide adult guidance and professional services to children placed out of the home and yet keep the child in community living. Our facility is community based and our program is community oriented. We have tremendous flexibility in providing care to children with varying needs. The PLYP Group Homes work cooperatively with the child, their family, the placing agency and other professionals working with the child and their family to develop an individual treatment plan, discharge plan and aftercare plan based on the placement treatment goals.

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Our Staff

The PLYP Girls Group Home staff are committed to helping children and their families grow and strengthen their skills.  Ongoing continuing education required by licensing, by the individual needs of clients and the individual needs of the staff is provided.  The Group Homes develop individual treatment plans according to each individual client issues and diagnosis.  The Group Homes contract with the licensed mental health providers to assist in therapeutic program planning, as well as daily care and treatment issues.

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Our Facility

The PLYP Girls Group Home is a 5 bedroom welcoming home, in a quiet neighborhood located in West Central Minnesota in the city of Willmar. This setting puts clients at ease and allows them to remain living in a community setting while they work towards their goals. Maximum capacity is 12 clients.

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Admission

Children Accepted for Care

The PLYP Girls Group Home is licensed by the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections and will accept females ages 10-19. We serve emotionally troubled children, children with behavioral problems, and their families.

Referrals can include children in need of protective services, adjudicated delinquents and voluntary placements.  The PLYP Girls Group Home will not accept clients who are exhibiting extreme aggressive behaviors, or are currently suicidal.

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Admission Procedure

Admission to the Group Home may be initiated by contacting the Group Homes Program Director at (320) 235-6637.  Your direction on client treatment goals will be requested. Once initial screening is done by phone, further background information such as psychological evaluation, family history and reports from previous interventions will be requested. A pre-placement interview may be scheduled, but is not always required.

Referrals are to be initiated by the child’s Social Worker or Probation Officer. The placing county is responsible for payment. PLYP group homes do not bill the client’s insurance for placement.

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Program Planning

Upon admission to the Group Home, areas of difficulty leading to placement are discussed and an individual treatment plan is developed. After thirty days, a staffing is held to discuss the child’s transition into our program and school, as well as the child’s progress, areas of difficulty, and issues the child has identified as those they want to work on.  The child’s treatment goals are:  

1. Evaluated weekly by staff;

2. Reviewed regularly throughout placement at staffing’s which include all involved parties; 

3. Documented thoroughly in written reports.

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Services

The PLYP Group Homes are designed to provide a strength based nurturing environment for adolescents. We empower adolescents to identify and evaluate behaviors and issues causing problems in their lives, educate and teach them skills, and provide an environment where issues can be worked through assertively within the program or by utilizing existing community resources. We promote and assist communication and problem solving with families. Child-led staffing’s every 8 weeks allow the child to demonstrate new skills learned, as well as to take ownership for areas of difficulty.

The PLYP Group Homes believe strongly in helping the entire family system strengthen and grow throughout the child’s placement, to better ensure the child’s success upon reunification.

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Services to be provided within the program:

• Home like environment

• Twenty four hour supervision, guidance and care

• Truthought Cognitive Skills Program

• Individual Treatment Planning

• Case Coordination of all Services provided within the Program and within the Community 

• Daily Group

• Individual Counseling 

• Family Meetings

• Regular staffing’s and written reports to communicate progress and areas of concern; and to continually coordinate services with the child, their family, the referring person, and all other involved in their placement at the Group Home.  

• Recreational Activities  

• AfterCare Planning and Services

• On Grounds Visitation for approved immediate family every Sunday from 2:00-4:00p.m. Alternate arrangements can be made if needed.

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Services to be provided by community resources:

• Willmar Public Schools provide main stream classrooms, as well as alternative classrooms at the Area Learning Center. Lake Park School, which is located within the main PLYP Campus, is also available for those students requiring a more structured setting. The Willmar School District reviews information on each client and makes the determination regarding which school setting they will attend. Summer school can also be an option for qualifying students.

• Psychiatric evaluations and medication monitoring contracted through Telehealth.

• Medical Services are provided by local businesses.

• Independent Living Skills Assessment and Development are provided by the SEARCH Program.

• Chemical Dependency Treatment and AfterCare are provided by Divine Hope or Project Turnabout.

• AA, NA, Al-Anon, and Alateen services are provided by the local chapter.

• Therapeutic Consultation to our staff is provided by Tim Johnson, LMFT or Molly Swenson, LMFT of Community Outreach Counseling, as well as clients individual Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Therapists.   Tim and Molly are also certified in TF-CBT.

• Occupational therapy evaluations and services are available through local medical facilities.

• Medication Administration and Policy and Procedure consultation is provided by Kandiyohi County Public Health.

• Spirituality services are provided by local churches and Youth for Christ.

• Outpatient DBT can be accessed through local mental health facilities.

• Kandiyohi County Community Services Programs, The Willmar Area Food Shelf, Humane Society, and United Way are some ways we provide the opportunity for youth to complete community service hours.

• Weekly Loss and Abandonment group facilitated by licensed therapist, for those clients to whom it pertains.

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We closely coordinate all of our program services with those provided by outside persons or agencies by direct personal contact and /or intra-agency staffing’s.  These contacts are maintained by all PLYP Group Home personnel and are coordinated by the Group Homes Program Director.

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AfterCare

AfterCare plans are designed for individual resident’s needs and coordinated with the referring agents and families prior to discharge.  AfterCare plans can include the following services from the Primary Counselor who has worked the closest with the client and their family throughout placement; phone calls, visit or family meeting at the client’s homes, (these can be scheduled prior to discharge or left open to be available as needs arise), coordinating follow-through of AfterCare plans for services provided by the home community, such as community support persons, churches, schools, counselors, etc.

The Prairie Lakes Youth Programs is a member of The Minnesota Council of Child Caring Agencies.