Ross Resources

The Itasca County Truancy Prevention Program, ICTPP, has been housed with Ross Resources since 2003, serving the 4 school districts of Itasca Co, #316, #317, #318, #319, as well as Northern Lights Community School.  Truancy Prevention Specialists, TPS, are housed in the schools they serve and provide primary prevention programming to student struggling with chronic absenteeism and truancy concerns. Relationships are at the heart of programming and TPS staff attempt to break down barriers for students and their families in an effort to promote daily consistent school attendance.

Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism are issues of immense proportion and display significant long-term consequences, not only for the chronically absent youth and their parents, but to the quality of life in our communities.  TPS staff provide linkage between home, school, courts, probation, social services, and other community partner agencies when coordinating these prevention and intervention services.

Working in the Science of the Positive framework, (Montana Institute), the ICTPP seeks to educate students, parents, and the community about the importance of consistent school attendance and the powerful protective factor it can have on student success. 

The ICTPP is a collaboratively funded effort of the Itasca County Family Services Collaborative, whose membership includes Independent School Districts #316, #317, #318, and #319, Itasca County Health and Human Services, Itasca County Probation, Public Health, KOOTASCA, Children’s Mental Health Services/REACH Inc., and North Homes Inc.

For more information on the Truancy Prevention Program, please contact Program Director Kim Geislinger at

(218) 328-6434 or click here to email.

The Kathleen Blatz Family Recovery Program offers support and an alternative to families involved in abuse, neglect and dependency cases where identified parental substance addiction is a primary factor.  The goal is to provide necessary support and services to assist participants in becoming and remaining chemically free.  “Recovery Specialists” offer support to bridge the gap between services in an effort to increase families’ strengths as well as maintain health and sobriety.  Created out of the Itasca County Children’s Justice Initiative, CJI, whose shared mission with the Recovery Program, is to ensure that in a fair and timely manner, abused and neglected children involved in the juvenile protection system, have safe, stable, permanent families. In addition to the Kathleen Blatz Family Recovery Program, Ross Resources provides a Juvenile Recovery Program for adolescents along with a Prenatal Recovery Program for expecting parents. Please call for more information. 

The Recovery Specialist supports participants on their pathway to recovery.  Recovery Specialists serve as a liaison between the client, child protection case manager, treatment case manager and probation officer if appropriate. There is a unique blend of mentoring and monitoring. The goal of the program is to increase collaboration between agencies and the participants; encourage compliance with recommendations and court-ordered conditions including random observed drug testing; and to assist Child Protection Case Managers to pursue reasonable and active efforts to increase compliance as it pertains to family reunification timelines.

For questions regarding the Kathleen Blatz Family Recovery Program, please contact Program Director

Heather Lovdahl at (218) 328-6434 or click here to email.

Ross Resources offers drug testing and screening for both youth and adults. If required, tests are observed by trained and certified Ross Resources staff. A variety of testing options are offered through our agency, including drug testing through urine, hair, saliva & patch. Ross Resources also provides DNA testing.

Children’s Mental Health Targeted Case Management, CMH-TCM, are activities that are designed to help a child and their family coordinate needed mental health services.  Case Management services include assisting a family in accessing services including social services, educational services, health services, recreation services and related services in the area of volunteering, advocacy, transportation, and legal services.  Case Managers assist families in obtaining a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to determine eligibility.  Once determined, Case Managers assist families in developing an Individual Family Community Support Plan that assures continuity of care.  Case Managers are required to consistently assess and reassess the delivery, appropriateness and effectiveness of services over time.

A child is determined to be eligible for case management services by the County if they have a mental health diagnosis that is causing interference in multiple life areas, (school, home, peers, and community).  The mental health diagnosis could include ADHD, anxiety disorder, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, etc.  CMH-TCM is a voluntary service offered to families to assist with service coordination. 

Child-Welfare Targeted Case Management, CWTCM, is a short-term case management program designed to assist families with short term goals, such as assisting with scheduling of mental health services, supporting students with consistent school attendance and providing connections to other community services such as housing, food and on occassion, financial supports. 

Adolescents ages 5-18 are eligible for these services, and some services can continue for youth over age 18 if they so choose and they are still enrolled in school. CMH-TCM services specifically, can continue into the adult mental health system if needed and the assigned Case Manager can assist in that transition process.

There is no charge to families for either of these services as they can be billed through MA, IMCare, private insurance and County pay if youth meet requirements

For more information on Children's Mental Health Targeted Case Management, please contact Kimberly Geislinger at (218) 328-6434 or click here to email.

Ross Resources has a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) on staff to assist the community with their chemical health needs.

A Comprehensive Chemical Health Assessment may be ordered by a court, or an individual may want to pursue an assessment on their own to determine if there is an issue with their chemical use. If a person is deemed by an assessor to be in need of treatment, at any level, a referral and placement in a treatment center of the client’s choice may occur. Ross Resources is one of the agencies that Itasca County contracts with to provide these assessments to both youth and adults who are Itasca County residents.

A referral/intake form will need to be completed and insurance information will be gathered.  If an individual does not have insurance, they are still eligible for treatment dollars through the Behavioral Health Fund, should they qualify.

To schedule a Comprehensive Chemical Health Assessment, please contact Kimberly Geislinger, B.A., LADC, by phone at (218) 328-6434 or click here to email.