Programs & Services

Health and Human Services

The Mille Lacs Band operates three clinic locations across the reservation to make high-quality health care available to Band members. The Band also offers public health services to Band communities, behavioral health services, family services such as child welfare and foster care services, and community support services to assist Elders and Band members in need.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sexual violence is a major cause of injury and trauma throughout the country, especially among American Indians. American Indians are twice as likely to experience sexual assault crimes, and one in three American Indian women has reported being raped.

The Women’s Project Sexual Assault Program helps educate Band members in all three reservation districts about sexual assault. With funding from the tribal government, the program provides several services to help survivors of sexual violence, including:

·        24-hour crisis line

·     Crisis intervention services

·          Support groups

·          Family services

·          Transportation to support sessions, medical procedures, and law enforcement offices

Signs of Sexual Assault

Emotional changes

·         Anxiety

· Irritability

·          Withdrawal

·          Depression

·          Sleep disturbances

·          Changes in appetite

·          New fears or phobias

·          Abrupt changes in personality

·          Poor self-esteem

 Behavioral changes (verbal)

·          Unusual interest in and/or knowledge of sexual acts

·          Inappropriate language

·          Suicidal threats

·          Denial of a problem with marked lack of expression

·          Abnormally aggressive or angry behavior

·          Reluctance to go to a particular place or be with a particular person

 Behavioral changes (nonverbal)

·          Attention-seeking behavior, including rebelling or stealing

·          Delinquent behavior, including running away or being tardy and/or absent

·          Drug or alcohol abuse

·          Physical abuse of others and/or property

·          Excessive masturbation

·          Wearing several layers of clothing regardless of the weather

·          Changing attitude toward school, including lower-than-average grades

·          Accumulating gifts, including money or candy

 Physical changes

·          Sexually transmitted infections

·          Cramps or abdominal pains

·          Dizziness, severe headaches, and recurrent physical complaints

·          Gagging

·          Sudden weight loss or gain

·          Eating disorders

·          Announces pregnancy without revealing who the father is

·          Self-mutilation

 Signs of sexual assault in young children

·          Nightmares

·          Bedwetting

·          Excessive clinging or whining behavior

·          Agitation or hyperactivity

·          Irritability

·          Aggressiveness

·          Abuse of animals

·          Playing sexually with other children

·          Evidence of physical trauma to genital areas

Numbers to Call

If you have been sexually assaulted or if you think someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please call any of the following emergency numbers:

·          24-hour crisis line:  866/867-4006

·          Five-County Mental Health Crisis Line:  800/523-3333

·          Native Youth Hotline:  877/209-1266

 Assistance is also available at the Mille Lacs Band Women’s Project offices:

·          MaMarianne Washburn, Women’s Project administrator, 320/532-7793 (office) or 320/630-2499 (cell)

·District I:  320/532-4780 (office) or 320/630-2691 (cell)

·          District II:  218/768-4412 (office) or 320/630-2676 (cell)

·          District III:  320/384-0149 (office) or 320/630-2678 (cell)

·          Traditional healer:  320/532-7572