The Human Development Center (HDC) was first established in 1938 in Northeast Minnesota and branched out into Cook County in the mid- 1970s. Since joining HDC in 2012, I have gathered bits and pieces of information about the prior operation of our office.
For example, Ed Niemi Ph.D., who previously served as the supervisor for Lake and Cook County HDC, told me that he used to provide services in the old log school building in Grand Portage. I was also informed that prior to our current location on Highway 61 at the top of the hill, our agency was located in the basement of the Northshor building. Another interesting fact is that our current office once had a real train locomotive displayed in front of the building. I am certain that our child clients (and some adult ones, too) would be happy if we were still in possession of such an object.
Over the years, there have been many dedicated servants to the cause of mental health and wholeness that have chosen to exercise their skills at our agency. In fact, many current prominent members of the therapeutic community in Cook County have spent time as therapists or outreach workers for the Human Development Center. The legacy these individuals have left is immeasurable. I am reminded of that time and again when I hear “if it wasn’t for___, I don’t know what I would have done” from their former clients.
A recent major contributor to the cause of improving mental health in our county has been Cecilia Bloomquist, LCSW. Ms. Bloomquist worked tirelessly to promote the health and well being of children and adult clients in our community. She worked wonderfully with all partners across the county, and had a special knack for connecting with children and families.
As this was the case, it was with mixed emotions that we helped celebrate her recent promotion to program supervisor for HDC—in Lake County. With this promotion has come a significant reduction in her time with us (she is only working one day per week at ISD 166 schools), with the expectation that she will cease providing services in Cook County at the end of the school year.
Along with her promotion came one for myself, to program supervisor for the Cook County office. Mission No. 1 for me will be to fill the big void left by Ms. Bloomquist’s departure with the hiring of another therapist.
Although the staff changes, there are many enduring qualities that HDC possesses that have provided our agency with a sense of continuity. This includes the dedication to working collaboratively with Public Health and Human Services; Grand Portage Human Services; the schools, including ISD 166, Great Expectations and Oshki Ogimaag; the medical community and many other partners in Cook County. It also includes offering a wide range of services including therapy, outreach, psychiatry, employment and testing, and the removal of barriers to accessing services so that we are able to reach the broadest swath of our community. These characteristics will continue to define us into the future, as we twist, turn, grow and evolve.
Our motto is “Helping people find hope.” That is something we have done for decades here in Grand Marais, and something we will keep doing long into the future!
To learn more about the Human Development Center and the services offered in Cook County, please visit www.humandevelopmentcenter.org or call 218-387-9444.
Each month a mental health therapist will discuss an area of mental health. This week’s column comes from Matt Webb, Psy.D. of the Human Development Center.
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