Independence, Inc. - 2021 Impact Report

2021 IMPACT REPORT

A Year of Removing Barriers and Achieving Dreams.

7 0 1 - 8 3 9- 4 7 2 4 | WWW. I NDE P ENDENCECI L . ORG | MI NOT , ND + BOTTI NEAU, ND

A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I have a small sign on my desk that says “Do the Impossible.”

Scott Burlingame Executive Director

At Independence, Inc., that is what we do.

Last year began with us discovering the Governor's Executive Budget had excluded funding for Independent Living programing. If that cut stood, it would have been catastrophic for our ability to provide services. We were a small nonprofit, without a lobbyist, fighting for our survival to a legislative body looking to make cuts. It seemed impossible that we could restore our funding.

We reached out to the community and people we serve and were overwhelmed by how they responded. They helped by calling, emailing, and writing elected officials and expressing how much value we add to their lives.

Thanks to help from so many, our funding was fully restored!

After 26 years of renting office space, our Board of Directors voted to control our own destiny and purchase our own office. It seemed impossible to find a place in a short period of time. We began looking while still not sure if our funding would be restored. We knew what we wanted, but we had serious doubts that we could find it, or even if we could afford it.

Thanks to the hard work of our staff and our board, we moved into our new office just in time.

Many of the people we served in the last year came to us when they were living in a nursing home, jail, a homeless shelter, a domestic violence shelter, or some other type of congregate living arrangement. Finding a place of their own, with all the barriers they faced must have seemed impossible. However, we are overjoyed for the record 43 people who took advantage of our services and moved into their own home.

I personally know what it is like to be in high school and to be struggling with a learning disability. My experiences taught me that many of the hundreds of teens we worked with have felt staying in school and graduating was impossible. Nevertheless, with our support and their hard work so many achieved their dream of graduating with their peers.

When you are in the grips of addiction, recovery can seem impossible. The people whom we served as part of the Free Through Recovery and Community Connect programs are finding ways to make clean and sober living possible and creating their own paths to thriving in our community.

In the past year, in the middle of a nationwide employee shortage, we had 6 staff positions come open. As we looked through the applicant pool and struggled with the hiring process, it seemed impossible to ever fill all these jobs. One after another however, we found our new team members. We hired highly qualified individuals who are making our organization stronger every day.

At Independence, Inc. we remove barriers and achieve dreams, and 2021 showed us just how possible that is!

R EVENUE BR E A K DO W N* Vocational Rehabilitation 3.6% CARES Act 6.9%

Fundraising 2.6%

Federal 15.8%

Free Through Recovery/Community Connect 8.2%

Money Follows the Person 18.9% State 42%

Federal - $144,297 State - $382,929 Money Follows the Person - $171,941 Free Through Recovery/Community Connect - $74,984 CARES Act - $63,002 Vocational Rehabilitation - $32,692 Fundraising - $23,247 Donations - $9,028 TOTAL REVENUE: Misc. - $9,418

$911,538

*UNAUDITED

M I SSI O N To advocate for the freedom of choice for individuals with disabilities to live independently through the removal of all barriers.

STAFF Scott Burlingame, Executive Director Jamie Hardt, Program Director Amber Johnson, Finance Director Kate Rock, Community Relations Specialist Nicole Beech, Independent Living Advocate Leigha Just, Independent Living Advocate Micah Olson, Independent Living Advocate Connie Klein, Independent Living Advocate Laura Mendez, Independent Living Advocate Twila Allee, Independent Living Advocate Haley West, Independent Living Specialist Pamala Mondragon, Information Specialist Sierra Scherr, Youth Transition Specialist MacKenzie Larson, Peer Support Specialist

2022 BOARD John Sallee, President Dawn Palumbo, Vice-Chair Lacey Krueger, Secretary/Treasurer Andrea Savelkoul, Member-at-Large Kyle Erickson, Director Chad Martin, Director Allyson Berner, Director Rianne Kuhn, Director Drew Hanson, Director

WHO WE ARE Independence, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit committed to empowering individuals with disabilities, seniors, and people with behavioral health disorders to live independently.

We are a non-residential, community-based, consumercontrolled agency that provides a variety of enrichment services designed to help North Dakotans with disabilities escape dependency, emerge from poverty, maximize selfsufficiency, and actively participate in community life.

CORE SERVICES

OUR SERVICES PROGRAMS NURSING HOME + COMMUNITY TRANSITION

INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING

INDIVIDUAL + SYSTEMS ADVOCACY

FREE THROUGH RECOVERY INFORMATION + REFERRAL

EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE

HOUSING HELP

EDUCATION SUPPORT

YOUTH TRANSITION

FINANCIAL LITERACY

TRANSFORMATION SERVICES

TRANSPORTATION TRAINING

PEER MENTORING

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

WHO WE SERVE

11

COUNTIES

​O ur organization offers core services to eleven North Dakota counties including Bottineau, Burke, Divide, McKenzie, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Rolette, Ward, and Williams. Our services are available to all ages and disabilities.

PEOPLE SERVED

INFORMATION AND REFERRALS:

994

DIRECT SERVICE:

565

COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH:

TOTAL PEOPLE SERVED:

5-19 50.2%

20-24 7.1%

94%

OF CONSUMER DRIVEN GOALS ACHIEVED

5,403

SERVED BY AGE

Under 5 60+ 0.2% 11%

25-59 31.5%

3,844

At Independence, Inc., we serve people of all ages. This means that whether you are a high schooler preparing for adulthood, an adult trying to thrive in your community, or a senior citizen wanting to age in place, we are here to help you achieve your independent living goals.

SERVICES IN SCHOOLS

18

In the past year, Independence, Inc. provided services to youth in 18 different schools. These schools are scattered throughout our service area. These transition programs help prepare youth for life after high school.

FREE THROUGH RECOVERY

35

Free Through Recovery is designed to improve healthcare outcomes and reduce recidivism by delivering high-quality community behavioral health services linked with community supervision. This year we served 35 people through this program.

SERVED BY COUNTY

Bottineau

While the largest number of people we serve comes from Ward county, just under 30% of the people we served in the past year came from the other 10 counties in our service area.

Burke Divide McHenry Mountrail Pierce Renville

395

Rolette Williams 0

10

20

30

COMMUNITY CONNECT

IN WARD COUNTY

IN SERVICE AREA COMMUNITY GROUPS

18

WINGS FOR ALL

8

Community Connect is designed to provide community based behavioral health supports to those in recovery. This year we served 8 people through this program.

40

562

For the second year, we were able to partner with other organizations to offer Wings for All. This event simulates air travel and helps prepare people with disabilities for this real-life experience.

SERVED BY DISABILITY TYPE Independence, Inc., serves people of all disability types. This year we have seen an increase in consumers with physical disabilities requesting services.

Throughout the past year, the staff of Independence, Inc. has participated in 18 different community groups at the local, state, and national level.

Multiple/Other 5.9% Physical 20.3%

Cognitive 53%

Mental/Emotional 20.8%

REMOVING BARRIERS. 43

TRANSITIONS HOME

On 12/14/2020, the State of North Dakota entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to aggressively improve the availability of home and community-based services in our state. As a result of that action, Independence, Inc. was able to assist a record number of persons transitioning from nursing homes and other congregate living environments back into the community.

12

VIRTUAL CLASSES

Over the past year, Independence, Inc. was able to host Independent Living Skills Classes virtually. These classes made it possible for the people we serve to socialize safely while learning a new skill or participating in a fun learning activity. Some of the most poplar classes included Valentine's Bouquets, Merry Mug Cakes, Microwave May Day Baskets, and Earth Day and Energy Efficiency.

NEW BUILDING In April, we purchased a new building located at 315 3rd Ave. SW. This building allows us to better meet the needs of the people and communities we serve. This space includes a safe and clean environment for meetings with consumers, a modern room for hybrid trainings, and a COVID safe and modern workspace for our most valuable asset, our employees.

In order to make this space ours, we remodeled parts of the building and made significant accessibility improvements, including adding a ramp off our front parking lot.

ACHIEVING DREAMS.

BUILDING DREAMS GALA In September, we launched the Building Dreams Capital Campaign. To kick off the campaign, Independence, Inc. hosted the Building Dreams Gala.

Our speaker was Lindsay Guentzel, a tv and radio host, producer, writer, and mental health advocate from the Twin Cities.

With the help of our event team, the Gala became our most successful fundraiser to date.

AWARD WINNERS Congratulations to our award winners!

Our Advocate of the Year Award went to Liz Larsen, Project BEE. Our Youth Advocate of the Year Award went to Sam Winter.

A SAFE RETURN TO COMMUNITY EVENTS After following COVID protocols and working from home in 2020, our staff was able to return to the office this year.

They were also able to participate in events in our community including: National Night Out, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Walk, and the Minot Pride Festival.

HOW TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENCE, INC.

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Minot Office 315 3rd Ave. SW Minot, ND 58701 | Tel: (701) 839-4724 www.independencecil.org info@independencecil.org

Bottineau Office 519 Main Street, Suite 4 Bottineau, ND 58318 | Tel: (701) 228-2221 www.independencecil.org info@independencecil.org