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Public Notice Detail
Request for Letters of Interest in serving on the State-Tribal Partnership Committee

Posted: Tuesday, April 8, 2025

The Children’s Justice Initiative (CJI), in partnership with Minnesota Department of Human Services and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, was awarded a five year, $2.5M grant from the federal Children’s Bureau to establish an intergovernmental partnership to improve court and agency implementation of child welfare best practices. The resulting “State-Tribal Partnership Committee,” is working to establish state and tribal practices that are culturally appropriate for American Indian children and their families to prevent maltreatment; safely maintain American Indian children in their homes and prevent removal from their families and communities; and improve safety, permanency, and well-being for American Indian children.

Committee membership groups: The State-Tribal Partnership Committee is comprised of state and tribal members.  Committee representatives include tribal chair/president, tribal/ district ICWA court judge, tribal/ICWA county court administration, tribal/ICWA county attorneys, tribal/ICWA county child welfare agencies, tribal elder, tribal court improvement program, ICWA attorneys for children and parents, ICWA guardians ad litem, American Indian parent and American Indian child/youth with lived experience, ICWA Law Center, Duluth Tribal-State Partnership Team, chemical health and mental health service providers, and others. The committee is advised by staff from national organizations such as Casey Family Programs, the National Native Children’s Trauma Center, and the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Committee meetings: The Committee meets quarterly, typically on Fridays.  Meetings are in person with an option for hybrid virtual participation. The next meeting will take place Friday, June 6, 2025, in Duluth, Minnesota.

Request for letters of interest: The CJI is seeking letters (emails) of interest from persons who are interested in serving on the new State-Tribal Partnership Committee, representing the following groups: county court administration staff; American Indian Youth with Lived Experience; County Commissioner; Chemical Health Services Provider. If you are interested, please send an email to the State-Tribal Partnership Coordinator at stpteam@courts.state.mn.us by Friday, May 2, 2025. In your email, please include the following:
 
  • First and Last Name
  • Title
  • Name of agency or organization
  • Committee membership group you would represent (county court administration staff, American Indian youth with lived experience, county commissioner, or chemical health services provider)
  • Email address and phone number
  • A few sentences about why you want to serve on the committee (e.g., what you will bring to the committee, topics you think the committee should discuss, your experiences in relation to child welfare and American Indian communities, etc.)
Persons who are selected to serve as committee members will be notified by May 16, 2025. Those who express an interest in serving but who are not selected will be added to a list of interested persons.

Questions? Contact Miriam Friesen, State-Tribal Partnership Coordinator, with any questions about the State-Tribal Partnership Committee. She may be reached at 651-297-7609 or by email at miriam.friesen@courts.state.mn.us.