Development Homes Snapshot
Development Homes, Inc. was founded under the belief that individuals with disabilities should have the opportunity to live their best lives in the Grand Forks community. Our organization is committed to creating a safe and engaging environment that empowers our individuals to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. At DHI, we have a team of direct care staff who aim to build long-lasting relationships with those we serve by being a constant presence throughout every stage of life. Our mission is to make a positive impact on the lives of those we have the privilege to serve as partners in human growth.
Since its inception in 1974, Development Homes, Inc. (DHI) has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities for almost 50 years. Dr. Leland H. Lipp, Clarence Ohlsen, and Richard Christensen, three local professionals working in the field of children's services, founded Development Homes, Inc. The organization started as a single foster home on Dyke Avenue, which offered therapeutic residential care for children who needed access to the former Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Forks. The group home allowed these children to live in a nurturing, family-like atmosphere.
Over the years, DHI has played a critical role in the restructuring of North Dakota's services to persons with developmental disabilities. In 1982, the Association for Retarded Citizens initiated a class action lawsuit against the State of North Dakota, challenging on constitutional grounds the condition and treatment of residents at two public institutions, the Grafton State School and San Haven. Under the settlement, North Dakota initiated efforts aimed at moving residents out of these state-run institutions into community-based living programs and providing appropriate education, training, and support services to people with developmental disabilities in the communities where they lived. The State of North Dakota turned to local non-profit service providers like DHI to implement these programs. In response to the need, DHI evolved from the operator of a single group home to a multi-faceted provider of residential, transitional, and vocational support services.
Over the years, DHI has played a critical role in the restructuring of North Dakota's services to persons with developmental disabilities. In 1982, the Association for Retarded Citizens initiated a class action lawsuit against the State of North Dakota, challenging on constitutional grounds the condition and treatment of residents at two public institutions, the Grafton State School and San Haven. Under the settlement, North Dakota initiated efforts aimed at moving residents out of these state-run institutions into community-based living programs and providing appropriate education, training, and support services to people with developmental disabilities in the communities where they lived. The State of North Dakota turned to local non-profit service providers like DHI to implement these programs. In response to the need, DHI evolved from the operator of a single group home to a multi-faceted provider of residential, transitional, and vocational support services.
