A woman called recently to ask how we use medication at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. She said, "I recently learned that most of the kids at the Ranch are on medication. Is that true?" According to Dr. Wayne Martinsen, Medical Director at the Ranch, and Heatthyr Haugeberg, Director of Nursing at the Ranch, she is correct. About 90% of our children are on a psychotropic medication at any given time. This is not surprising when you remember that the Ranch is a psychiatric residential treatment facility, providing hope and healing for the most troubled children in our communities—children who have experienced chronic stress and trauma.…
mental health
Through an Artist-in-Resident grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, Dr. Monte Selby spent a week at Dakota Memorial School, Fargo. Selby gives students the opportunity to express their emotions and future aspirations through songwriting. Writing their own music provides a bridge for many of our kids to be creative and expressive with their voices in the world.…