The leech lake band of ojibwe is a federally recognized tribe located in north-central minnesota

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, a federally recognized Native American tribe in Minnesota, was awarded a $897,429 Project Grant from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Tribal Justice Assistance Program (CFDA 16.596). The grant will fund the hire of a case manager for the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department to help coordinate the response and connect individuals experiencing opioid addiction or overdose with community resources and support services. The case manager will also work with the court administrator to follow up with individuals on probation related to drug charges, helping to connect them with the necessary resources and support. This funding aims to strengthen the tribe's justice system capacity by addressing critical infrastructure needs, enhancing public safety, and developing robust justice services for the tribal community.

Leech lake tribal police are often first on the scene for calls related to opioid addiction and overdose. Though first on the scene, officers are not the best equipped professionals to provide all the support that the person experiencing the crisis needs. IT is essential that someone struggling with addiction be given resources and connected to support after contact with law enforcement. With this funding, leech lake band of ojibwe will hire a case manager for the police department to help coordinate this response. For post-conviction related to drug charges, there is often the same need for a connection to community resources and support. This case manager will also be essential in following up with individuals on probation. The court administrator hired for this grant will be responsible for helping to connect the individuals on probation with the case manager and for tracking the impact of this coordination on the outcomes of those served by this grant.