Red Lake Nation News

Intake

Child maltreatment reports are received by the FCS intake worker. These reports go to a screening team that decides whether to screen the intake in or out. If screened out, there may also be referrals made to more appropriate programs such as Parent Support Outreach Program (PSOP), Children’s Mental Health (CMH) including Children’s Therapeutic Supports and Services (CTSS), or other agencies for helping the family. Screened in reports can be either investigations or assessments.

Intake Worker:                        Bridgette Branchaud  679-1664

Child Protection Assessment and Investigation

Screened in child maltreatment reports can be either assessments or investigations. Investigations may often result in court involvement and involuntary services, and assessments may result in voluntary services either through FCS or another agency. Investigations are often done in collaboration with the Red Lake Police Department and/or the FBI. Investigations regarding sexual abuse allegations are done in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota (FACNM). FACNM uses a medical model of intervention and performs physical exams on all ages of victims of either physical or sexual abuse, along with a structured interview protocol.

Child Protection Workers:

M. Sue Antone            679-1670

Nicole Johnson            679-1672

Senora Thompson       679-1677

Indian Child Welfare Advocacy

The ICWA program at Family & Children Services consists of  ICWA Advocates located in offices on Red Lake and in the metro area at the Red Lake Embassy.

Red Lake:

Candace LaGou  679-1665

Urban Area: 

Sheila Beaulieu   (612) 874-9592

(866) 777-4502 (toll free)

FCS also offers some services that are separate from child protection and are voluntary services.  These are listed below:



Parent Support Outreach Program

PSOP services are offered to families where there is a child age 10 or under in the home. Families can be referred to the PSOP program through staff at FCS or other agencies, and they can also be self-referred. The program is completely voluntary and is for families who may be temporarily struggling with various life stressors and can benefit from supportive services. The PSOP case manager will work with families to help them access needed services and provide other support as needed and/or available. This is a time limited program.

Case Manager: 

Sarah Huesmann          679-1676



Case Managers:

Alice Benaise             679-1661

Ashley Kingbird          679-1681

Valerie King                679-1667

Rena Parisien             679-1674

Roberta Raincloud      679-1675

Paige Thorson             679-1668

Whitney Greenwood    679-1684

Sarah Huesmann         679-1676

(Long Term Foster Care Cases Only)

                                                                Dan Dietrich                 679-1683

(Beltrami Co. liaison and LTFC)

Foster Care Licensing Program

The goal of the foster care licensing program is to ensure the safety and well-being of all children placed in licensed foster homes and to ensure the foster parents have the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. The foster care programs consist of Red Lake tribal members who have been or will be trained to deliver services to the children placed in their homes. Background studies are done on all applicants as well as home studies that provide information on the prospective foster family’s views of child rearing, discipline and other areas pertaining to the care of foster children. On-going training is provided throughout the year to foster parents and attendance is required for maintaining the foster care license. Foster parents work closely with the case managers to meet the goals of the child’s case plan that is tailored to the child’s needs.

Foster Care Coordinator:

Gloria Jourdain              679-1679

Children’s Mental Health

CMH case management services are available through FCS. Children who qualify for CMH services may be referred by mental health professionals, FCS case managers, other professionals, and parents. The CMH case manager provides case management and helps the family access community support services for their child. Part of the services available on-site at FCS include Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS) which is a flexible package of mental health services for children who require varying therapeutic and rehabilitative levels of intervention to address the mental illness that impairs and interferes with the individuals’ abilities to function independently. The CMH case manager can be contacted about CTSS services or the CTSS Provider can be contacted directly.

CMH case manager:

Dan Priewe                  679-1682