Established in 1964 with the support of
the Christ Child Society, we opened for services in the
Merrick Community Center (named we guess after the Christ
Child Society founder Mary Virginia Merrick) on the East
Side of St. Paul; and began serving 15 young adults with
a developmental disability (DD) that lived at home and could
not get adequate services from the public schools.
For many years to come, the common perception of our society
was that these individuals needed to be "cared for
and kept busy." As a result, our services were designed
to be mostly recreational in nature and this was reflected
in our original name Merrick Daytime Activity Center (DAC)
and the following program description:
"A Daytime Activity Center is a community setting
for the care, training, and stimulation of the mentally
retarded person for whom there are no public schools or
facilities available. It represents an alternative and less
expensive plan to placement in a residential setting. It
leaves the primary responsibility for the individual in
the care of his parents. The setting of the Daytime Activity
Center is informal but controlled, and the general philosophy
is posited on our belief that the basic values of social
group work can contribute a significant service to mentally
retarded children and their families."
With advocates demanding that people with DD return to
their communities from the state hospitals and receive a
public education, the need for appropriate activities during
the day for graduates and adults grew and we expanded to
include a location on Payne Avenue. Acknowledging the need
and value of DAC programs, the Department of Human Services
(DHS) licensed programs and secured Medicaid funding to
increase the availability of these services for adults with
DD now living in the community.
During this timeframe, it was recognized that people in
DAC programs had an interest in, and were capable of, working.
Initially this interest was met by bringing assembling,
sorting, and packaging work, which was out-sourced by businesses, on-site
to be finished by clients at the DAC program (when not using
the person's name we use the term "client" to
affirm that they have chosen us as their provider).
Now, Merrick, Inc., is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3)
charitable corporation, licensed by DHS as a Day Training & Habilitation
(DT&H) and Supported Employment Services (SES) provider.
We are currently located in Vadnais Heights and provide
support to over 300 adults with DD, employing more than 110 professional
staff, maintaining a fleet of 55 vehicles, and offering
the following distinctive services to our clients:
- Vocational Options that include on-site contracts, work-crew
contracts, work-crew placements, individual placements,
and volunteerism with over 70 businesses in the metropolitan
area;
- Placement Support including: job assessment; resume
writing; assistance with applications & interviews;
job training; placement; and intermittent, face-to-face,
visits to the job site;
- Habilitation Programs such as Occupational and Speech
Therapy, Augmentative Device Library, Recreation and Leisure
Activities, Vocational Support Groups, and Self-Advocacy
Groups; and
- Transportation Services to and from home and work on
one of our safe, clean, and dependable vehicles; or coordinated
with any public carrier.
Surveying the possibilities, we have chosen a montage of
old compasses as our logo to demonstrate that we are an
experienced company that continues to be a pathfinder for
those seeking to explore new horizons. Through our business
partnerships, employees, and the reliable, loyal, and enthusiastic
characteristics of our client workforce, we are helping
to change society's perception of the clients we serve not
as persons with disabilities, but rather people with abilities.
Likewise, we encourage you to find the best in each person
you encounter today.
