Deiconifying an application without touching the Icon

Due to manager direction we have a switchboard app that must keep the user
from being able to open any windows except through the app (i.e. the desktop
is not visible/available). When we launch an app and then minimize it, the
icon is then hidden behind the switchboard. The question is, how do we get
to the app deiconify it again (we know its pid, if that helps). At this
point, I can see a few possible solutions

1) Have the icon stay above the switchboard. No idea how to do seem, seems
counterintuitive to the whole idea of minimizing.

2) Simulate what happens when you double click on a minimized icon. If we
can figure this out, this would seem to be the best solution

3) Modify the applications the switchboard launchs to allow the switchboard
to send them a message to deiconify. Divantage we have to modify all the
apps to do this, especially if we add an app to the switchboard that we have
not written.

I have done some sing on the issue, but am still adrift. Any ideas along
lines 1 or 2 would really be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dale Pennington