Chaplain Rick Jones is one of God’s great gifts to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Chaplain Rick came here as a vicar while in seminary and then was called to the Ranch right after completing his studies. Being a Chaplain in a Youth Residential Treatment Facility is a very special calling. It means ministering to children who may not have heard of Christ. It also means ministering to staff who, like him, are called to work with some of the world’s most vulnerable. It means teaching other called church workers about trauma-sensitive mercy care. He is really good at his, and His, work.…
Services For Kids
Mikaelah is a lovely, kind, young professional who works on the Information Technology Team of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. I am delighted when we have a chance to talk. She is quick to fix my computer, which is good, but, like all humans, she is so much more than what she can do. She is a deep thinker and spends time pondering what’s truly important.…
When I was a child, I was… “fluffy,” “chunky,” “plump,” or “hefty.” Whatever word you use, I carried more than my optimum weight. Food was, and still is, a big part of family life. For my mom, cooking was a way of showing love. Eating her food was my way of showing love back.…
I am wearing pajamas at work today. When I became a CEO, that was not a sentence I ever thought I would write. They are very “appropriate” pajamas for work…if that is possible. Basically, they are fuzzy pink sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a fuzzy “bedjacket” my sister gave me. Still, I think it is quite reasonable to ask me, “Why?”…
We count everything at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Almost. We are a psychiatric medical facility, high-performing school, charity, retail thrift store operation, and outpatient clinic. There are lots of things to count. So, when we pull together metrics for reporting, accreditation, board meetings, licensing, and audits, we have many to choose from.…
I am ignorant about a lot of things. Please don’t read that wrong. To me, “ignorant” means that I lack knowledge or information about particular subjects. I still find television somewhat mystical. When I was little, I thought that if we cut the cable that ran from the antenna to the TV, we would see a little tiny version of the television picture in the cut end coming from the antenna.…
I miss my mother-in-law… especially on the Fourth of July. When she passed away last year, she was well into her 90s. She did not lead an easy life, but she decided to lead a happy one.…
I'm usually pretty good at focusing, but this week I found myself pausing my work to see what all the oohing and ahhing outside my office door was about. We had just received two boxes of handmade quilts from friends in Arizona, and they were being unpacked. The folks from surrounding offices were holding them up and admiring them. In addition to the beautiful quilting, they had a lot of precise appliqué work, which gave several of them themes. Butterflies, Mario Cart, Harry Potter, Cats… one prettier than the next.…
I think it is important to occasionally give you a look “behind the curtain.” How do we talk to each other at the Ranch? How do we get work done? How do we really feel about working with the kids? Sure, I tell you all the time they are precious and complicated. But, is that the way we talk about them when we are just talking to each other?…
Today, I received a short note from a couple who have supported the kids at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch for the last four years. In their note, they asked us to remove them from our mailing list because they felt that the medical expertise we bring to our work has made us too "secular.”…
Although it was quite a long time ago, I remember some details from my high school graduation. I grew up on a farm outside a small town in Eastern North Dakota. Our town was situated in a nest of small towns, and each one had its own school. In a move that was ahead of its time, people came together to build a high school out in the country. It was roughly equal distance from each of the surrounding towns, so it could not be overly influenced by any. The new, very modern (at the time) building opened as I entered first grade.…
We are impacted every day, whether we know it or not, by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Last night, the Alexa device in my kitchen asked me if it was time to re-order dog food from Amazon. It was time, and I did. That is one of the more innocuous intrusions of AI, and it made my life easier.…
I have shared before that Chaplain Rick Jones, Vice President of Spiritual Life at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, writes daily devotions for staff at the Ranch. Reading them are some of the best moments of my days, as they give me a chance to center and wrap myself in the warmth of knowing we are doing God’s work. And why.…
Scott Fitzgerald, of “The Great Gatsby” fame, is often credited with a potent quote. “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”…
I have a lot of nurses in my family. My sister is a nurse. She’s retired but she specialized in cardiac research. My husband has seven siblings, three were nurses. One was the head of trauma nursing at her hospital, the other two worked in long-term care. We have many nurses at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Obviously, whenever I or someone I love seeks medical care, nurses are involved.…
At Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, we work hard to fill that deficit. Our on-site school, Dakota Memorial School, puts special effort into literacy and expression and comprehension. In therapy, our therapists are specially trained to ensure kids comprehend the things they are learning. In Spiritual Life, we use Action Bibles, in graphic form, to help children grasp the concepts of life choices, values, and the love of Christ.…
How did you learn about things like washing your hair, cutting your nails, and brushing your teeth? For most of us, our families started teaching us those basic lessons when they brought us home. A baby’s first bath at home is usually a big event for a family!…
What do Music, Staff, Pop Rocks candy, Farming, Family, and Legos all have in common? I’ll get back to that riddle in a moment. Last week, I received an email from Crystal Askvig, one of the remarkable therapists at our Bismarck Campus. Crystal has a Master of Science degree and is licensed as an Addiction Counselor and Professional Clinical Counselor. She’s really good.…
It is wonderful when a Ranch friend reaches out and connects with me. Whether it is in response to an email, a mailed note, or a phone call, I get to hear from truly wonderful people like you.…
Each person has their own kind of wisdom. Hearing life lessons from the people I meet is one of the great benefits of this job. Recently, I had a chance to visit with a retired nurse. She is a powerhouse of action. She may be retired from nursing, but not from life! She does foot care for the elderly in her congregation, volunteers as a program coordinator for the Lutheran Women’s Conferences in her area, and studies holistic approaches to healthcare.…
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch works with every human service zone in the state to ensure North Dakota children receive the help they need.…
One Saturday in October I had the great honor of speaking to a gathering of about 75 Christian women. They prayed together, held a business meeting, had a devotional talk from a local pastor, and then I talked to them about the children and the work of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch.…
I remember my second grade teacher, Mrs. Loftus, reading through a list of predictions for how life would be when we were old… “around 2025.” I don't recall all of them, but I do remember that buying water in plastic bottles and being able to see people on our phones (which would, of course, still be anchored to the wall) were on the list.…
It is the day after Christmas. I hope yours was full of warmth, kindness, and gentle companionship. I hope you were surrounded by peace and grace. I wasn’t. My youngest granddaughter is learning to walk and her mission in life is to grab the Christmas tree and pull it down on herself. Her parents are in a constant state of vigilance, both for her protection and to avoid my ire at the tree’s destruction. Her 2-year-old brother, taking cues from mom and dad, kept grabbing her and pulling her away from the tree—to her great and loud chagrin.…
Most children who come to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch have not had a good relationship with school. Their behavioral and psychiatric problems have often resulted in them being labeled as "one of those kids.” If they are in a chaotic home, the school has likely not received much parental cooperation. They are often bullied or the bully. Simply, school has not been the happy place of learning adults hope it is.…