DARTS has an experienced and professional staff that helps families, agencies, and funders plan, develop, and implement new services to support Dakota County seniors and their families. For more than 28 years, staff has participated in local community collaboratives, worked directly with other county providers to serve joint clients, and facilitated meetings to discuss community needs and expectations.

Community agencies and funders are increasingly asking DARTS to share its experiences and resources beyond the boundaries of Dakota County. Meanwhile, DARTS is partnering with other metro-area agencies to expand the opportunities to serve a broader base of families looking for senior services.

Strategic Alliance for Senior Services

DARTS partners with The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, HSI (Human Services Inc.), Senior Community Services, and Volunteers of America of Minnesota to offer care management to seniors in the seven-county metropolitan area through the service Eldercare Partners.

United Way

Mid-2000, DARTS received a technology grant from the United Way (Minneapolis) as part of their Service Through Technology initiative. The grant supported DARTS' development of web-based services for caregivers of seniors. Such services include an e-mail connection to a DARTS advisor, resources about many aging-related issues and topics, and a regularly updated "Consider This" column.

DARTS also partnered with the Greater Twin Cities United Way and six member agencies to help them operate transportation services more efficiently and effectively in getting clients to needed services in the United Way area. Using DARTS technology and professional expertise, new service options were developed and evaluated as to long-term impact on service and reproducibility. Volunteers of America of Minnesota continues to use this support and service.

The Center for Transportation Studies (CTS)

The DARTS and CTS partnership combined the educational resources and services of CTS and the University of Minnesota with the operational knowledge and skills of DARTS to: 1) create DARTS' logistics support service for transportation providers; 2) create a broader understanding of specialized transit needs among stakeholder groups and identify future university research initiatives; and 3) build a partnership that develops a university research and education program in specialized transit using federal and other funds.

Access to Work initiative

DARTS worked with Dakota County Transit Collaborative members to help clients find, get to, and retain employment. DARTS now contracts with Dakota County to continue a two-van service for job-seeking clients.

Dakota County Intergenerational Projects

DARTS Intergenerational Program efforts include working with Dakota County Community Corrections to have youth with minor or first-time offenses perform community service activities for seniors, such as lawn mowing and light-duty chores. Seniors are also asked to serve youth by volunteering as a Reading Buddie in area elementary schools to help children learn to read.

Exurban Transit Services

DARTS has increased transit service for seniors in the Lakeville area with the assistance of the Lakeville Senior Center and the City of Lakeville. The city reserves one parking space in their city service garage for a DARTS bus and offers fueling privileges to the driver. The City of Farmington and DARTS jointly applied for and received a Federal 5310 grant bus to offer added service to seniors in the greater Farmington area. The Farmington Senior Center operates the bus one day a week. DARTS trains and certifies all the drivers, maintains the vehicle, and uses the bus the remainder of the week.

County Transit Associates

Seven major specialized senior transportation providers have been meeting since 1983 as County Transit Associates (CTA) to monitor metropolitan area transportation issues and help coordinate service with Metro Mobility and others providing special transportation service in the area. CTA members are the American Red Cross St Paul, Carver County Transportation, Scott County Transportation, Anoka County Traveler, West Metro Coordinated Transportation and DARTS.

The Metropolitan Council - ADA Transportation

DARTS is under contract with the Metropolitan Council to provide all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) service for Dakota County. To ensure connections for trips into the urban areas and the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, DARTS works closely with Metro Mobility to coordinate rider transfers between buses and providers.

HUD's Independent Living Program

DARTS manages the Housing & Urban Development's Congregate Housing Services Program, called the Independent Living Program (ILP), which provides direct services to residents of two high-rise buildings in South St. Paul. Within the ILP, DARTS has a contract with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of South St. Paul and partners with Dakota County Public Health to provide health screenings, with the CAP agency to provide meals, with the Neighbor to Neighbor program ,and Lutheran Social Services to provide some staffing of program aides.

Lutheran Social Services - Chemical Dependency Program

DARTS uses five volunteer Senior Companions, a program administered by Lutheran Social Services, to support other seniors as they deal with chemical and alcohol abuse issues.

Other Community Partnerships

DARTS has partnered with the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) on the dispatching and scheduling of two local Flex-Route services.