New agreement between Minnesota and Leech Lake band marks a hopeful new start
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The working relationship between a tribal nation and the state’s Department of Human Services has improved over the past two years.
The two governments recently completed work on a five-year “umbrella contract” and celebrated Tuesday when DHS officials presented the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe with the agency’s Circle of Excellence Award.
News of the agreement and the award comes five years after the Department of Human Services notified the state auditor that the agency had overpaid the Leech Lake Band and another tribal nation $29 million in federal funds for opioid abuse treatment programs.
The auditor’s report tracked the issue back several years to a decision by DHS officials to reimburse the tribes’ opioid treatment providers the same rate for take-home opioid medications as they did for treatments at a clinic.
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A year after the over payment saga began, the state Legislature reimbursed the federal government for money the state had overpaid tribes.
Since then, DHS and Leech Lake have been meeting to improve relations between the two governments and craft a new way forward.
Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead said Tuesday that her office is “energized” by its new partnership with Leech Lake.
“Together, we created DHS’ first five-year umbrella contract with a tribal nation,” she said.
DHS has contracted with Leech Lake to provide human services to tribal members including education, employment, child protection, and chemical health.
At the close of her remarks, Harpstead presented Leech Lake leadership with its Circle of Excellence Award.
Chair Faron Jackson, Sr. accepted on behalf of the band. For the past two years, DHS and Leech Lake have been meeting together regularly to talk through what Jackson called “speed bumps and sharp curves.”
“We know things that we deal with together can be kind of challenging at times, but we always prevail. We've come to understanding how we can work through these impasses,” Jackson said.
Lenny Fineday, Leech Lake secretary and treasurer, said the umbrella contract replaces dozens of contracts the band had with DHS across a half dozen divisions, all with different start and end dates.
“The administrative burden is lessened,” Fineday said.
Laurie Harper, Leech Lake’s director of education, said the new contract with the state is reason to be hopeful. Harper said Leech Lake has in the past struggled with staff turnover, which led to gaps in communication with staff from the state.
Harper said the new agreement solves those issues, allowing a single staff member from the band to serve as a point of contact with the state. Harper said a single, multi-year contract will allow the tribe to “make better use of resources.”
Commissioner Harpstead said the new contract with Leech Lake means the band can focus its time and energy on their clients and not the tasks that go along with administering grants.
“That’s the important part,” she said.
She also said the work DHS has done with Leech Lake could serve as a template for future partnerships with other tribal nations in the state.
“I like that we’ve done it. It means we don’t have to start from scratch,” Harpstead said.
