CASS LAKE 鈥� Women seeking recovery from substance use and addiction can now find treatment closer to their homes and families, with a new women鈥檚 inpatient treatment wing opening in Cass Lake on Monday, Feb. 5.
Community members and representatives of Leech Lake Nation came together to celebrate the milestone and what it will mean for the community鈥檚 relatives and loved ones who are struggling with addiction.
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The new wing, called Zoongi-ide Ikwewaag, or 鈥淪trong-hearted women鈥� in Ojibwe, will be a part of the Ahnji-Be-Mah-Diz Recovery Center in Cass Lake, a residential treatment program for individuals who have been diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder.
Previously the center had only provided services to men, but the new wing fills a gap in regional services that鈥檚 been present since 2021, when a local women鈥檚 halfway house closed.
The project to renovate the center and create the wing was helped by $850,000 in federal funding , procured by U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, who sent representatives from their offices to the grand opening.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been working on this for a long time time,鈥� shared Faron Jackson Sr., chairman of Leech Lake Nation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a stressful life when our families are struggling with addiction, when we lose family members in our community we all feel that pain.鈥�
Like so many communities across the state and the country, Leech Lake Nation has been affected by the opioid epidemic, with the number of overdoses and overdose deaths trending upward each year.
Jackson shared a personal story related to the loss of his daughter in 2015, and how he hopes recovery programs like the one in Cass Lake can help prevent future tragedies.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e dealing with these powerful drugs, you don鈥檛 have room for mistakes,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e all need healing and we all need to look out for each other. We want our young people to grow up to be elders.鈥�
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Healing through connection
With a treatment center in Cass Lake, the hope is that fewer individuals will need to be sent away from their homes and families to recover, meaning they鈥檒l be able to maintain a connection to their community through their time in treatment.
鈥淲e know the proper healing for addiction is connectedness, is community, is understanding the intrinsic value and worth of each human life,鈥� said Leonard Fineday, Leech Lake Nation鈥檚 secretary/treasurer. 鈥�(This program) helps reestablish that connectedness, that sense of identity and belonging.鈥�
By nature of being an inpatient program, instead of the previous halfway house model, individuals will receive more direct support through their recovery. It will also provide opportunities for cultural connection, through a sweat lodge and a spiritual advisor on staff.
鈥淚npatient is going to have better outcomes,鈥� explained Curtis Jackson, a program manager at the Ahnji-Be-Mah-Diz Recovery Center. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have more services, more groups, more accountability.鈥�
An additional advantage comes from the center鈥檚 staff, many of whom have lived through addiction and recovery and have devoted their lives to helping other people find sobriety.
鈥淭his program is a unique one because almost all of the staffers have lived experience,鈥� Curtis said. 鈥淭o me that鈥檚 amazing, that鈥檚 people helping people by telling their stories and helping them have a better life.鈥�
The addition of the new wing is the next step toward broader efforts to promote healing in the community.
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鈥淭he greatest resource we have to battle these addictions is right here in this room, it鈥檚 all of us,鈥� Faron said. 鈥淭his is just the beginning. We can all make a difference in our communities, we can all save some lives.鈥�
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