About

Bar None Residential ShelterPlus offers hope and a comprehensive array of effective children’s shelter-care services. These services are individualized, culturally affirmative and designed to achieve successful results. 

ShelterPlus is an innovative new shelter care services model that meets a growing demand within our community. It focuses on skill development and identification of needs so that youth may transition into the services they could benefit from more smoothly and quickly. ShelterPlus can create more 

Eligibility

Ages served
11-17
Genders served
All genders
Payments accepted
Funding for the shelter program is solely through county social services/corrections screening and approval.
Referral needed?
Yes

Offering Safety and a Path Forward 

More than anything, adolescents going through a rough time need safety and stability. Bar None ShelterPlus provides that while also providing assessment services which can help the youth transition into needed services more quickly.  

Teaching Skills to Move Past Trauma and Health 

Adolescents recovering from trauma learn skills which can help them stay safe, relaxed and emotionally stable. They also learn skills to help them communicate what they need to heal and move forward. 

Supporting safe transitions to a more hopeful future

Transition times can be scary and a young person recognizing their need for safety and stability while figuring out their next steps is a sign of resiliency and strength. Bar None ShelterPlus is an innovative child shelter care service that focuses on skill development and identification of needs so that youth may transition into the services they could benefit from more smoothly and quickly.  

Bar None ShelterPlus staff are experts at building well-being and helping residents break through barriers that they’ve built up inside themselves which now keep them from seeking their path forward.   

Bar None ShelterPlus’ services help residents develop safety skills, ways to relax and regulate themselves in stressful times while managing emotions and building their ability to communicate and care about others.  

Bar None Exterior

Every person is unique, which is why we never use a one-size-fits-all approach. At Bar None ShelterPlus we work with each person to determine what services are needed, create pathways to access needed services, and coordinate with all the individual supports to ensure the services work effectively together.

Services we provide:

  • Behavioral Assessment
  • Baseline Assessments
  • Community-based recreational opportunities
  • Discharge planning 
  • Nursing level medical screening 
  • On-site education/school
  • Placement recommendations
  • Skills coaching
  • Needs Assessment
  • Nursing

 What we do: 

  • Short-term Stabilization with Enhanced Services 
  • Safe and supportive environment 
  • Stabilization of behavior and life skill development 
  • Therapeutic temporary living 
  • Trauma informed environment 

Residents will develop foundational skills and maintenance in: 

  • Safety Skills 
  • Relaxation and Regulation Skills 
  • Emotion Management Skills 
  • Communication and Empathy Skills

Bar None Administrative Leadership

Bar None ShelterPlus Team

"I wanted to thank you and the staff at Bar None for being so supportive to the resident during this time. I appreciate your communication with me and flexibility surrounding his circumstances. After over 20 placements in less than three years, he matured greatly at your facility. Thank you for all that you guys do for children. It does not go unnoticed!" 

-Social Worker

Commonly Asked Questions

Youth may be referred to ShelterPlus by a social worker, a probation officer, or by a court order. Please contact our Intake Coordinator, Sara Ellis, at 763-252-4541, or sara.ellis@voamn.org for more information, or to begin the referral process.

We provide a safe and supportive short-term living environment for male and female adolescents between the ages of 11-17 years old. We emphasize skills development for youth and, when appropriate, their families, that can help stabilize and manage emotional and behavioral difficulties adolescents might face in preparation for change in their lives.

Funding is provided by county social services/corrections.  

All youth have the option to continue attending their current public school while in the Bar None ShelterPlus program, and all youth on the Bar None campus also have access to Crossroads School, which is a public school located on the Bar None campus and operated by St. Francis Area Schools. Crossroads School offers small class-sizes within a structured educational setting and provides regular education, as well as specialized services based on individual student needs. Although Crossroads is a public school, it is specifically designed for Bar None, and only youth who are currently part of Bar None programming are able to attend Crossroads. Bar None staff are present in the school throughout each day to provide additional support to youth in and out of the classroom as needed.  

ShelterPlus participants are given the opportunity for recreation daily. There are two on-site gymnasiums, including one in the ShelterPlus building, a Teen Recreation Center with ping-pong, air hockey, a pool table and foosball table for participant use. The large Bar None campus is surrounded by nature and is well suited for outdoor hikes, bike riding, and rollerblading. Additionally, participants can enjoy canoeing and fishing on Lake Norris during the summer months. When conditions permit, participants are also able to take part in off-site outings, such as going to a movie theater, going out to eat, or shopping.