Red Lake Comprehensive Health Services has introduced a groundbreaking mental health service in the community with the opening of its Mino’ayaan Walk-In Mental Health Crisis Support Center. Located in Red Lake, this center is the first of its kind in the area, providing immediate, accessible care for individuals in mental health crises. After its soft opening a year ago, the center recently held a grand opening to raise awareness of its services.
While various mental health services and therapists are available in Red Lake and the surrounding regions, two local mental health professionals recognized a pressing need for a more immediate option for those in crisis. This insight led to the creation of the Mino’ayaan center, which focuses on offering fast access to support during critical times.
“I think it fills the gaps in the barriers that we meet in mental health in Indian Country,” said Shianne Graves, Mino’ayaan Crisis Clinician. “We can help get people quicker access to resources.”
Tera Nelson, Mino’ayaan Mental Health Practitioner, elaborated on the challenge of defining a “crisis,” saying, “When trying to determine coming here, like, ‘what is a crisis?’ It’s so hard to define. We really ultimately need people where they’re at for the mental health needs.”
The center’s founders, who have been providing mental health support in the area for over a year, renovated an existing building to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for individuals in need. “We have all-new siding outside, we have a brand new roof,” Nelson explained. “The entire inside is brand new, which we find very important. When people are in a time of crisis, you want to be as comfortable as you can be.”
The Mino’ayaan center does not offer ongoing therapy but focuses on providing immediate crisis intervention. “When you come in, we do our intake, the crisis assessment, figure out what’s going on, then we do safety planning, a treatment plan, and we would meet for up to ten sessions,” Graves explained.
Currently, the service is available to members of the Red Lake community, though the center is open to others residing in or around Red Lake, even if they are not enrolled members or descendants of the Red Lake Band. “We’re really big on inclusivity, and we would not turn anybody away if they didn’t meet that criteria,” Nelson added.
The name Mino’ayaan, which means “be well,” reflects the center’s mission to promote wellness in a non-judgmental, supportive environment. The center operates Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I wanted to be the person that I needed to be when I was younger,” Nelson shared. “If I can be that supportive person—someone I needed when I was a teenager or someone I needed when I was 18 or 20 years old—it means a lot. It’s hard to admit that, ‘Hey, maybe I need help,’ but we’re here and non-judgmental.”
Open to both children and adults, the center allows individuals to walk in during business hours or schedule appointments ahead of time. In the near future, the center plans to launch a 24-hour “warm line” for people in mental health crises, offering over-the-phone support at any time.
With its innovative approach to mental health crisis intervention, the Mino’ayaan Walk-In Mental Health Crisis Support Center aims to make a significant impact in Red Lake by ensuring that those in need of immediate mental health care are never turned away.
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