Historic agreement strengthens voluntary treatment and care services for all Native Americans and tribal members in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe have reached a historic agreement that will preserve culturally relevant substance abuse and addiction treatment services for American Indians throughout the state.
Under the agreement, DHS will officially close Four Winds, its Community Addiction Recovery Enterprise program in Brainerd, Minn., and the Mille Lacs Band will open a new, licensed program in the same facility. The Band, which will lease the facility from the state, expects to have the new program up and running by March 1, 2017. DHS will provide a one-time grant of up to $800,000 to help offset the transitions costs.
“This is a prime example of the good things that come when we reach out and work together to solve problems,” said Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper. “The goal was to ensure access to effective and meaningful treatment for those who seek help, and we worked together to make that happen.”
While the new program will be operated by the Mille Lacs Band, it will be open to individuals from all of Minnesota’s tribal nations.
“There is extraordinary need in Minnesota for programs serving Indian people that focus on our traditions, spirituality and culture within the recovery and treatment journey,” said Band Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin. “Two years ago, we made it our goal to be able to offer a program like this to Band members, so this opportunity to take over this facility was a priority.”
The agreement was prompted by the fact that if Four Winds remained a state-operated facility, the program could serve only clients who are civilly committed for substance abuse treatment.
That restriction would have imposed a double hardship on the people most often served at Four Winds. About 90 percent of the clients are American Indians and most seek treatment voluntarily.
“The possibility that access to substance abuse and addiction services would be greatly reduced for American Indians in the region and throughout Minnesota was unacceptable to everyone,” said Piper. “The Mille Lacs Band stepped up as a leader and a dedicated partner during an uncertain time.”
Four Winds is the only state-operated program with a specific focus on American Indian traditional healing and recovery practices. Placing the program in tribal hands will sharpen that focus, since the Mille Lacs Band has a greater likelihood of hiring and retaining American Indian staff with knowledge and experience in traditional practices.
The transition may include rebranding the program with a new name and a new identity that is reflective of the culture of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, said Sam Moose, the Band’s health and human services commissioner.
The new program will serve American Indians from throughout Minnesota with a model of care that includes cultural programming, addiction recovery programming, and fully integrated care for co-occurring mental health conditions.
“The goal is to create a space that is welcoming, healing, and reflective of Anishinaabe values and of our way of life,” said Moose. “I’m extremely excited about what the addition of inpatient treatment services means to the tribe.”
The Mille Lacs Band had been exploring ways to develop stronger inpatient or residential treatment services for those who struggle with addiction, said Moose. Tribal officials had considered strategic partnerships with other organizations and even weighed establishing their own programs. Taking over established operations and treatment programming at Four Winds is an opportunity to achieve results quickly.
Experts on chemical dependency treatment among American Indians welcomed news of the agreement.
“It has been a long-shared vision to have a special place to address substance use disorders in Minnesota,” said Richard Wright, a member of the Leech Lake Nation, a respected authority on substance abuse among American Indians and a member of the state’s American Indian Advisory Council on Chemical Dependency (AIACCD).
In addition to leadership from the Mille Lacs Band and DHS, the move had strong support from leaders of Minnesota’s other Indian bands, said Wright. “There are so many people who stood up for this idea,” he said. “This is a major step toward a spiritual healing lodge which can optimize ceremonial aspects of healing in all phases of health.”
The 17-member AIACCD establishes policies and procedures for American Indian chemical dependency programs, and reviews and recommends proposals for funding. The council includes one member from each of Minnesota’s 11 reservations, two members from Minneapolis, two members from St. Paul, one member from Duluth and one member from International Falls.
In 2016, Gov. Mark Dayton and Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations held the first ever Tribal Opioid Summit to develop strategies for prevention, treatment and recovery in American Indian communities.
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