Developmental Achievement Centers of Bemidji and Walker/Northern Cass

DEVELOPMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT CENTER
 

Serving Beltrami, Northern Cass and surrounding counties

DAC Program Goals

At the Northern Cass D.A.C and D.A.C. – Bemidji, our goal is to help our clients live life to their fullest potential. We have been providing day service options for developmentally disabled adults since 1976 and pride ourselves on unique, individualized and flexible programming that is responsive to the needs of our clients and their respective support system.

 

Please read our Notice of Privacy and Confidential Information Authorization forms.

Core areas and programming addresses vocational training,
effective communication and life skills:

 

Vocational Training

In our society, adulthood is often defined by one's desire and ability to perform work that provides monetary compensation. In order to support their efforts toward a more independent and mainstream lifestyle, we do our best to provide an advantageous wage-earning work experience for all of our clients. During our admissions process, we incorporate available collateral information with the individual client's self report to explore areas of vocational interest and connect each client with corresponding, relevant work opportunities. We strive to provide every client with a variety of vocational experiences tailored to their evolving preferences and abilities.

The Northern Cass D.A.C. and D.A.C. - Bemidji have a history of successful partnerships with a multitude of businesses in our communities,
including but not limited to:

  • Cass County's Recycling Program
  • The Pilot Newspaper
  • Leech Lake Chamber of Commerce
  • Walker SuperOne
  • Village Homes
  • Reed's Sporting Goods
  • Bureau of Indian Health Services Recycling Program
  • Northland Tackle
  • Paul Bunyan Transit
  • Ferguson's
  • Headwaters Science Center
  • R.E.M. Northstar

 

Effective Communication

The ability to convey thoughts, ideas and feelings effectively are paramount to the human experience. In order to move toward a more independent lifestyle, it is essential that our clients master the ability to communicate, non-verbally or verbally. During our admissions process, we incorporate available collateral information with the individual's self report to determine existing communicative methods and establish goals for further skill development, from practicing sign language to recognizing conversational/social cues.

 

Life Skills

Life happens, sometimes it happens when we're at work. To completely promote our clients potential, the D.A.C. will oftentimes address non-vocational specific service needs in order to assist our clients in reaching their goals. Our staff use every opportunity to share life lessons with clients, with issues ranging from safety to hygiene, from peer groups to personal responsibility, our staff will broach just about any topic as a means of helping our clients move toward a more independent lifestyle.

Mission Statement

The mission of Northern Cass Developmental Achievement Center/Developmental Achievement Center-Bemidji, Inc. is to provide quality care and training to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of our participants, their families, and our staff. This premise will be adhered to by providing a positive, no-fail atmosphere for all participants regardless of race, sex, national origin, or economic status.

In order to help each participant achieve full potential, a comprehensive training program in the areas of functional life communications, independent living, and work habits will be provided. Staff will be expected to foster as much independent life action as is feasible for each participant. Moving along a continuum toward the least restrictive and most normal life-space possible will be the overall goal of training at the DAC.

While the DAC will strive to train participants in the skills mentioned, the major focus of attention will be aimed at aiding each individual participants development in every way. People will be held above programs at all times with each participant receiving quality individual attention. Staffing and programming toward this end will be the first priority of this Agency.

(This statement was adopted by the Board of Directors at the meeting of August 16, 1983.)