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THE HISTORY OF PRAIRIE COMMUNITY SERVICES

Prairie Community Services, Inc. (PCS) is a private, non-profit corporation based in Morris, Minnesota. PCS has 28 years of experience providing services to individuals with mental illness.

PCS was established in 1987, under St. Francis Health Services of Morris, MN. PCS began serving individuals with mental illness in two 16 bed Rule 36 programs. In 1989, Community Support Program (CSP) services were started; serving five counties. In 1990, a day treatment program was also established. In 1994, a third Rule 36 program was purchased.  In 2003, PCS phased out the Rule 36 programs and collaborated with fourteen counties and public health agencies to place and relocate all of the 48 consumers in or near their home communities. PCS collaborated with many of those communities to develop Community Alternative Residential Services sites licensed under adult foster care. In 2010 Brentwood IRTs was opened and in 2013 Fresh Start IRTS was purchased.

The majority of PCS services are for adults. However, there are now four residential programs and several in-home programs for children.

Over the years, PCS has developed and operated many programs including ICF-DD, adult foster care for DD, MI and BI, Community based services for the same populations including, CSP, day treatment, In-Home services, respite, ILS, SILS, transitional housing, ARMHS, PCA, supported employment, IRTS and crisis services. Day treatment, transitional housing, PCA, and ARMHS are not being provided at this time. PCS is looking into reapplying for ARMHS certification in three counties.

PCS has experienced a great deal of growth in the past 10 years. PCS currently has 78 residential programs serving 340 people plus multiple community based programs serving 125 to 175 individuals. Of the residential programs there are 10 ICF-DD programs, 62 adult foster care programs for people with DD, MI, and/or BI, 4 children’s foster care programs, 2 Intensive Residential Treatment Services programs.

PCS programs are located in the following counties: Roseau, Pennington, Red Lake, St. Louis, Ottertail, Todd, Grant, Douglas, Traverse, Stevens, Pope, Stearns, Big Stone, Swift, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Renville, Lyon, Redwood and Blue Earth. This covers five Initiative Consortiums. With the diverse locations of programs, PCS has experience delivering culturally responsive services to individuals. Each location is assessed for groups that need culturally responsive services and employees in the locations are provided appropriate training. Individual cultural needs are addressed for each consumer.

PCS has always been proactive and strives to provide the highest quality of services to people in all programs. PCS has a history of taking on new challenges and venturing into areas of need, if it fits with the PCS mission. PCS has been collaborative, creative, and flexible in adapting to changing needs and expectation.

PCS provides training to all staff above and beyond the requirements of licensure and certification. PCS has developed a good pool of mental health practitioners and mental health professionals. The knowledge and skills attained through specified training, coupled with experience gained from involvement with a wide variety of services, has resulted in a core of highly valued staff.

PCS was one of eight entities selected by DHS to be part of the IMR pilot in 2007. One of the staff who was a participant was also involved in the states Advance Training and provided additional agency IMR consulting. That individual was also trained in 2009 in IMR Clinical Competency Scale and was involved in piloting the clinical competency evaluations. This employee has over 20 years of experience with PCS providing services to individuals with mental illness in CSP, ARMHS, day treatment, Rule 36, adult foster care and IRTS. This employee will be the Implementation Lead.

PCS is an original participant in Region IV South Adult Mental Health Initiative and is involved with four other Initiatives. PCS collaborated with Productive Alternative, Inc. on an employability grant as part of Prairie Partners. PCS was contracted by Region IV South for two employees to provide mental health professional services for the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team. State Operated Services also contracted with PCS to provide mandated oversight of their ARMHS staff.