Our History

In 1967 Westminster Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis opened up services for families that had loved ones with disabilities. From the first year serving 7 individuals to more than doubling to 25 the following year, the need became apparent for many families that services like these were needed across the metro. The identification of this need by these families brought together the formation of Community Involvement Programs on May 28, 1971.

Services continued as Community Involvement Programs or as many knew it, C.I.P. An apartment Training Program began and shortly after that in 1972 they opened a downtown Day Activity Center. Throughout the 1980’s C.I.P. continued to expand through opening group homes in Pine County, Mental Health Adult Foster Homes in Minneapolis and Minnetonka, expanding into offering SILS in Hennepin County and opening the first home in Hinkley, Minnesota under the Home and Community-based waiver.

For the next 20 years, C.I.P. continued to expand and became an advocate in the industry for Personal Outcome Measures. C.I.P took the lead in the state to help create the Minnesota Supportive Housing Consortium along with continuing to provide new services such as Home and Family Support Services, Independent Living Skills Services, Contracted Case Management through Hennepin County, and opening even more homes for individuals with Mental Health Issues and Disabilities.

In 2015, under new leadership with CEO Rita Wiersma, C.I.P. joined Altair Accountable Care Organization as one of the premier providers in the state on focusing how we integrate health care with social services for people with disabilities. They also saw expanded Contracted County Case Management with Anoka and Dakota Counties. And in 2019, C.I.P. acquired ALLY People Solutions in 2019 to expand in Day Support Services along with Employment Services.

With the ever changing landscape of the Social Services in the state, C.I.P. new it was time for a new name and updated branding. In 2020, Community Involvement Programs changed their name to Accord! But they weren’t done with change there, they also consolidated multiple offices and building over the last year and purchased a new headquarters in St. Paul on Energy Park Drive.

Now, in 2021, Accord is celebrating 50 years of helping people with disabilities and mental health issues live their greatest lives. With so much impact on the past 50 years, Accord is looking to the future to further their impact, grow greater awareness in the community, and continue to help people live their greatest lives all while reaching towards a future where all people feel included!