Occupational Development Center

About ODC

The Occupational Development Center provides life skills, vocational and employment development services. We work closely with community businesses and organizations to offer individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment an option to experience work in a highly integrated setting. 

Comprised of nine divisions located throughout northern MN, we are a diversified organization that adapts to regional needs and opportunities to provide high-quality services and products.

• Baudette
• Bemidji
• Buhl
• Crookston
• Grand Rapids
• International Falls
• Roseau
• Thief River Falls
• Warren

To learn more about the myriad ways in which we serve our communities, please visit odcmn.org.

What it means to support our mission

Dedicated Professionals

Our hardworking staff give to the max daily ensuring the people we serve are provided the optimal support suited to their individual pursuits and skillsets, encouraging growth and development.

Inclusive Workplaces

A largely untapped labor market, hiring people with disabilities or other barriers to employment contributes to positive work environments by giving opportunities to individuals who are eager to prove themselves. In turn, these businesses are fostering the growth of dedicated, reliable and cheerful employees.

Community Participation

A community is a web of connections between individual members. One key benefit the people we serve receive is feeling they are connected to something bigger, of knowing there are people out there invested in one’s progress and well-being—people they come to care about like family.

Passion and Purpose

“The people we serve are the heart and soul of our organization and they teach us so much about the resilience and determination of the human spirit. They may not always see themselves as being ‘brave’ or ‘exceptional,’ and most of them simply want to live a ‘normal’ life, like everyone else. Yet, these people are out there in our businesses, setting examples for others to follow and demonstrating how they can set and achieve their vocational goals, just like anyone else when they are encouraged to spread their wings.”

Rebecca, ODC Program Specialist

Building Confidence and Skills

Often we are our own deterrent to success when we lack confidence in abilities we didn’t even know we could possess. When presented with the opportunity to prove oneself, a little encouragement and guidance can help someone overcome internal inertia to empower them to accomplish any challenge.

Customer Delight

Many of the people we serve have said their favorite thing about working in the community is the positive interactions they have with customers—and their employers and customers would say the same about them!

“It's been really great to work with the ODC these past 12 years. These individuals are the friendly faces our customers see when they walk in the door. We are continually impressed by the dedication they give to their work. They brighten the day for us and our customers - without them our weekdays would be much more hectic and not as fun. Having them around helps bring everyone together, not just at work but in the community as a whole.”

Sadie, McDonald's supervisor in Baudette

Tireless Teamwork

There are many links in the chain of natural and provided supports on an individual’s pathway to independent living. This includes family members, job coaches and employment specialists, case workers, partnering community organizations, employers and supervisors, customers and coworkers. Everyone plays an important role in an individual’s success—including the individual!