Leo's Legacy advocates for the needs of all children in society and their need for proper care. We believe youth need a continuum of care offered to them. We have a unique opportunity to provide services to children in need of multiple aspects of treatment. We provide adult guidance and professional services to youth placed out of the home while maintaining living in our secure residential program. Our locked facility is a dorm-based program. We have tremendous flexibility in providing care to youth with varying needs. The Leo's Legacy Secure Residential Program works cooperatively with the youth, their family, the placing agency and other professionals working with the child and their family to develop an individual treatment plan based on the placement treatment goals.

Leo's Legacy provides court-ordered stays for independent living skills and transitional services to support youth needing help with the transition from placement back into the community. Youth will be given the tools necessary to successfully live on their own. Youth learn how to set and accomplish individual goals, how to manage their time, how to manage stress, and more. They will have the opportunity to earn incentives by meeting program expectations and making progress on their individual case plan goals. Case management service will be provided to each youth. 

Leo's Legacy aims to help youth bridge the gap between placement and returning to the community. Through groups, youth work to develop the life skills necessary to integrate back to their families, schools, and communities.  Topics cover legal obligations, meeting conditions of probation, goal setting, community resources and vocational testing. More specific topics, such as dealing with peer pressure, anger management or values clarification are addressed on an individual basis. Whether it is helping a resident find a job or a place to live, or helping them figure out what they need to stay in school or become a contributing member of their family, Leo's Legacy seeks to aid youth in planning and building for the future.

​

Leo's Legacy staff are committed to helping children and their families grow and strengthen their skills. Ongoing continuing education required by licensing, by the individual needs of youth and the individual needs of the staff is provided. The Leo's Legacy team develop individual treatment plans according to each individual youth strengths, needs, and diagnosis. Leo's Legacy contracts with the licensed mental health providers to assist in therapeutic program planning, as well as daily care and treatment issues.

Leo's Legacy is a dorm-style program located on the top floor of the secure building, located in west central Minnesota, in the city of Willmar. This setting allows youth to maintain dignity while living in a dorm-style program and puts youth at ease while they work towards their goals. Maximum capacity is 16 male youth. 

Leo's Legacy is licensed by the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections and will accept males ages 10-19 who are court ordered for placement in our program. We serve emotionally dysregulated youth, youth who may demonstrate behavioral problems, and serve as a support for their families.

Admission to Leo's Legacy may be initiated by placing a referral. Your involvement on youth treatment goals will be included. Once initial screening is completed through the referral form, further background information such as psychological evaluation, family history and reports from previous interventions will be requested. A pre-placement interview may be scheduled, but is not always required. Referrals may be initiated by the child’s Social Worker or Probation Officer. The placing county is responsible for payment. Leo's Legacy does not bill the youth’s insurance for placement. 

​

Upon admission to Leo's Legacy, areas of difficulty leading to placement are discussed and an individual treatment plan is developed. After thirty days, a staffing is held to discuss the youth’s transition into our program and school, as well as the youth’s progress, areas of difficulty, and issues the youth has identified as those they want to work on. The youth’s treatment goals are:  

1. Evaluated weekly by staff

2. Reviewed regularly throughout placement at staffing’s which include all involved parties

3. Documented thoroughly in written reports

​

Leo's Legacy is designed to provide a strength based nurturing environment for youth within the safety and security of our locked residential facility. We empower youth to identify and evaluate behaviors and issues causing problems in their lives, educate and teach them skills, and provide an environment where issues can be worked through assertively within the program or by utilizing existing community resources. We promote and assist communication and problem solving with families. Youth-led staffing’s allow the youth to demonstrate new skills learned, as well as to take ownership for areas of difficulty. Leo's Legacy believes strongly in helping the entire family system strengthen and grow throughout their child’s placement, to better ensure success upon reunification.

​

• Dorm like locked environment
• Twenty four hour supervision, guidance and care
• Truthought Cognitive Skills Program
• Individual Treatment Planning
• Case Coordination of all Services provided within the Program and within the Community 
• Daily Group
• Individual Counseling 
• Family Collaboration
• Regular staffing’s and written reports to communicate progress and areas of concern
• Recreational Activities  
• After Care Planning and Services
• On Grounds Visitation for approved visitors
• Willmar Public Schools provide educational services
• Psychiatric evaluations and medication monitoring
• Medical Services
• Independent Living Skills Assessment and Development
• Chemical Dependency Treatment
• AA, NA, Al-Anon, and Alateen services
• Therapeutic Services
• Occupational Therapy evaluations and services are available through local medical facilities.
• Medication Administration
• Spirituality Services
• Loss and Abandonment Groups
• Volunteering and Employment Opportunities

​

We closely coordinate all of our program services with those provided by contracted service providers. These contacts are maintained by Prairie Lakes Youth Programs. 

​

After Care plans are designed for individual youth needs and coordinated with the referring agents and families prior to discharge. After Care plans can include the following services from the team member who has worked the closest with the youth and their family throughout placement. After Care may include follow up phone calls, visit or family meeting at the youth's homes, (these can be scheduled prior to discharge or left open to be available as needs arise), coordinating follow-through of After Care plans for services provided by the home community, such as community support persons, churches, schools, and counselors.