Itasca County
Report date
June 2021
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
This past year the pandemic has put the grant work on hold/delay. We had the opportunity to partner with the Blandin Foundation to receive in kind facilitation work to build relationships with both Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (LLBO) staff and community partners along with their counterparts in Itasca County. This 'core team' met virtually 4 times in 2020 with the ultimate goal of building relationships. Beyond the specific work of this grant, Itasca and LLBO have identified a mutual goal of ongoing communication and collaboration, and to personally know or minimally have a sense of who they are speaking with on the other side of the phone. Sectors invited to meet from both entities included health and human services, truancy prevention, probation, judges, housing, higher education, non-profit employment, child protection, and behavioral health. Invitations were sent to Children's Justice Initiative representatives and substance use representatives. Not all sectors were in attendance or able to attend each time, although, we had good engagement. This initial engagement work will be instrumental in moving innovation forward with our entities and the families we mutually serve.
To add to the above answer, the addition of sectors beyond judicial system members and partners broadens the conversation to what other barriers may exist in preventing positive outcomes with youth engaged in the juvenile justice system and had child protection involved with their families. This includes behavioral health, housing, truancy prevention, employment and higher education. This grouping of sectors may grow once we learn more from families on their perception of barriers to their involvement in the justice system.
Key lessons learned
The pandemic put this work on hold. We have yet to expend dollars, although we are hopeful for an extension of the grant funding. The developed relationships between LLBO and Itasca are a success. Moving ahead during a pandemic recovery has created less in person relationship building, as we would prefer. And, finding partners to move the grant work forward has been delayed, mostly due to pandemic requirements and due to restructuring of organizations with seemingly natural partnerships. We will still work to move forward, it just may take longer than planned.
Reflections on inclusive, collaborative or resourceful problem-solving
Inclusive thus far has been important. This includes thinking broadly on who could contribute to family successes while assuring equitable involvement from sectors in both LLBO and Itasca County. We invited in sectors beyond the justice system including housing, employment and higher ed while those already involved with the families such as truancy, probation, judges were present. Behavioral health and substance use often play a role in outcomes, yet are not mandated as options to assist families and youth in the justice system. Their voices must be heard as well.
Other key elements of Community Innovation
In-kind community support from non-profits who share our goals of improving outcomes for rural health and equity were key, especially during a pandemic. The relationship work would not have happened without partners as our resources were reallocated to community pandemic response.
Understanding the problem
Our work, even prior to the grant period, with intentional conversations with potential partners that we had some background work to do with relationships and knowledge needed for increased cultural and trauma sensitivity before real work with families could begin. Initially we had intended to immediately hire a coordinator to oversee the grant work and learned that we needed to step back further and listen and hear prior to identifying who was the natural organization/person to move this work forward. Our community partners often say 'go slow to go fast' and we are proving this to be true. If the ultimate outcome is improved relationships with our counterparts from neighboring jurisdictions, that is a positive outcome for all.
If you could do it all over again...
Relationships matter and are necessary on the front end, before targeting specific grant duties and outcome identification.
One last thought
We plan to ask for an extension on this grant work at end of the fiscal year. We are making forward steps in engaging Anishinaabe Education staff who have developed relationships with families, to learn more about their experiences.