Dungarvin Recognized by Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)

Last fall, Dungarvin made its largest-ever acquisition, adding an additional 103 group home settings to its portfolio and a variety of community-based services to support an additional 400 people.

Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead and DHS leaders shared their thanks for the acquisition during a recent visit to Dungarvin headquarters in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Harpstead said she’s routinely checked in with Central Regional Director Karin Stockwell about how the transition has been going for clients and staff as the organization has increased in size.

“Karin has impressed me with how confidently and competently ‘Team Dungarvin’ has made things work,” Harpstead said. “I am so grateful, in recent years especially, for some of the large, well-resourced, long-standing disability service providers in Minnesota. I am particularly thankful for their partnership when we look to place people with disabilities and behavioral health challenges, because they ask: ‘How can we give this person their best possible life?’”

During the visit, Harpstead thanked Dungarvin’s leadership and staff for their teamwork in taking on the large acquisition. “Leadership matters, and I appreciate the caring and competency of the senior leaders at Dungarvin Minnesota who agreed to take this on and empower their teams to work out the critical details,” the commissioner said.

Dungarvin Minnesota State Director Nat Graf also cited the teamwork involved in making the acquisition a resounding success.

“We are proud that we kept the majority of staff and managers during this transition, and invited them to become part of our team, which is also a tribute to the people that they were supporting, and delivered a relatively seamless transition to Dungarvin,” Graf said. “We are carrying out our mission to respect and respond to the choices and the abilities of hundreds of new people to have a better life and to have new opportunities with support from us.”