What's New

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation's newly completed 5-year strategic plan for programs and development will again focus on Quality of Place. We have learned that rural economies can no longer rely solely on their natural resource base for their future. To succeed, rural areas need to be able to attract and train knowledge workers. These people can choose to live almost anywhere these days. They will likely choose to live in attractive communities that offer the amenities they desire.

Following along these lines, the foundation created the Quality of Place award two years ago. The purpose is to recognize the foundation's partners, grantees, training participants, and loan clients who have helped to develop community assets. Through their work, they enhance the quality of places in the region.

This year, Northwestern Mental Health Center of Crookston received the Quality of Place Award. Northwestern Mental Health Center is a private, non-profit corporation owned by the counties of Kittson, Marshall, Mahnomen, Norman, Polk, and Red Lake. The Center provides an array of services to individuals and families in response to the mental health needs in northwestern Minnesota. The purpose of their services is to prevent the emergence of mental health problems, to provide early intervention to limit the impact of problems, and to treat serious mental health problems.

With financial support from the Northwest Minnesota Foundation and others, the Center has been the crucial resource for the past 20 years for people needing mental health care in times of flood disasters and agriculture crisis.

Rural Life Outreach was an essential program that responded to issues related to the farming crisis. The Center was able to build upon and expand direct services, using grant funds provided by the foundation. They were then able to attract an additional $260,000 from various sources. Their staff was particularly effective in coordinating the diverse organizations and interests working to alleviate the crisis. They provided direct mental health counseling to over 1,000 individuals who were uninsured.

Recently, another collaborative project funded by the foundation involved the Center as the significant partner in the Northwest Minnesota Council of Collaboratives. Their goal with this project, led by Tri-County Community Corrections, was preventing the emergence of or reducing the impact of problems experienced by children and families. They did this by coordinating administrative and programmatic services and resource sharing. The school districts, county social service agencies, community corrections, public health, community action agencies and law enforcement, along with the Center, became active partners. As a result, the members proved that they can develop a systems-wide, strengths-based, efficient system of care to benefit youth and families.

With the help of $500,000 USDA and USDA/Bremer Rural Development loans, along with others sources, the Center has expanded into a new long-awaited facility with space necessary for staff and programming. As recently stated by USDA State Director Steve Wentzel, "This Center is without question the closest to what we believe in when it comes to one-on-one, person-to-person interactions that improve lives, especially with your children's initiatives," Wenzel said. "This meets our quality of life goal, immeasurably." The foundation couldn't agree more.

Click here to download the NWMF Resource newsletter, Summer 2008, http://www.nwmf.org The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is a public charitable foundation dedicated to creating a brighter future for northwest Minnesota.

By Mike Christopherson, Managing Editor
Crookston Daily Times
Published: Friday, January 19, 2007 2:27 PM CST

It worked great in 1993, so Dan Wilson figured it was worth a second go-around.

When the current Northwestern Mental Health Center was constructed in 1993, the center's director recalled Thursday, Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates designed it and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) helped to fund it.

At a celebration announcing the mental health center's expansion Thursday, WSN's Roger Helland and Gene Youngdahl were on hand to describe the design of the addition, and USDA Rural Development officials were there as well, with a ceremonial, oversized check in the amount of $500,000 to help finance the project.

"We needed to grow and we figured we'd come back to the same people because it worked so well the first time," Wilson told a crowd gathered in the Northwest Regional Corrections Center Community Room, across the street from the NWMHC on Bruce Street.

The expansion project has been in the works for more than three years, and it's grown in scope over that period of time. At a cost of just over $1 million, it will support many programs, including the Children's Mental Health System of Care "Our Children Succeed," Polk County Collaborative, outpatient programs, Northwest Adult Mental Health Initiative and staff training.

Much of the project comes down to space in general. The NWMHC staff has grown as the demand for services throughout the six counties that it serves has grown. Working in a building designed to house 37, the expansion will allow for a staff of more than 100.

The financing package includes $300,000 in a USDA Rural Development direct loan, $200,000 in a USDA/Bremer Rural Development guaranteed loan, and $551,170 in NWMHC contributions.

"If you're going to grow, you're going to need money," said Wilson, who was first hired in 1973. "We couldn't do things like this without a supportive board of directors that's willing to take risks."

Several center staff were on hand for Thursday's event, as well as representatives of the state's legislative contingent in Congress. Steve Wenzel, USDA state director, did most of the talking. Much of what the USDA in general and its Rural Development branch are about is improving quality of life through initiatives in agriculture, economic development and infrastructure.

"This center is without question probably the closest to what we believe in when it comes to one on one, person to person interactions that improve lives, especially with your children's initiatives," Wenzel said. "This meets our quality of life goal, immeasurably."