The Story of the Ain Dah Yung Center
The first American Indian school in St. Paul over twenty-seven years ago recognized that many of its students were homeless or in homes that were affecting their ability to attend school and succeed. Children and youth were often focused on survival and meeting basic needs. The majority of homeless children and youth were and continue to be American Indian. Out of these realities and the hard work of many early American Indian leaders and the generosity of funding partners, the Ain Dah Yung Center was born in 1983. The Ain Dah Yung Center led the way as the first agency to provide any form of culturally relevant focused services to any group. Ain Dah Yung’s Emergency Shelter and empowering culturally relevant programs immediately proved to be much more utilized and effective than mainstream services for American Indian families.
The Emergency Shelter established its own 501c3 non-profit status in 1991. After operating the Emergency Shelter for thirteen years, the Ain Dah Yung Center opened the Beverley A. Benjamin Youth Lodge. The Ain Dah Yung Center gradually developed accompanying services and programs described below that address both the immediate needs of youth in crisis and proactively impact systemic issues at the root of homelessness with long-term positive results.
Click “Read more” for more information about our programs, services and contact information.
Emergency Shelter
The Emergency Shelter program has been providing culturally specific emergency and short-term shelter and supportive services to American Indian children and youth ages 5 to 17 who are homeless, runaway, in a family crisis, or involved with juvenile corrections since 1983. The Shelter helps homeless and displaced children and youth find safety, address presenting issues, reunite with family when possible, and establish safe alternatives when not available. Ain Dah Yung Center Case Managers work with each family to create permanent placement plans and reports on placement status for all youth discharged from Ain Dah Yung Center. The Emergency Shelter provides the opportunity to identify families in crisis, so we can provide support services and reconnect them to their culture and community. Read more
Ninijanisag
The Ninijanisag (Our Children) Program was launched in 1993 to combat startlingly high rates of violence, chemical use/abuse, suicide, and other self-compromising behaviors among American Indian youth. Ninijanisag teaches youth ages 10-21 problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills in a community and cultural context. Traditional American Indian cultural activities are offered weekly and include drum and dance, sweat lodge, traditional crafts, talking circles, traditional storytelling, and intergenerational language tables. Leadership opportunities include public speaking, mentoring, and planning community cultural events. The long-term impact of Ninijanisag is to provide American Indian young people with cultural and community connections to sustain them and deter them from substance abuse, crime, violent behavior, suicide, and other destructive behaviors. Read more
Oyate Nawajin
Oyate Nawajin (Stand with the People) is a grouping of programs, described below, that are designed to keep American Indian families together and strong by providing the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to provide a safe, stable environment for their children.
Family Advocacy, Preservation and Reunification Services began in 1995 with the establishment of the Family Support program in response to the disproportionate placement of American Indian children outside the home. The programs that provide family preservation and reunification services combine self-help, professional intervention, and cultural reinforcement to strengthen families experiencing a process of family reunification and/or stressful parenting situations. Services include counseling, case management, parenting education, resource acquisition, and advocacy with a Native cultural base. Participants are referred by Ain Dah Yung Center staff, community agencies, or Child Protection Services, or may self-refer. Family preservation and reunification services improve family functioning, increase parenting skills and knowledge, increase knowledge of support systems and how to access them, and ultimately, prevent the out-of-home placement of children. Read more
Ramsey Co. CMHCM
Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Case Management was designed to serve families with children who have significant mental health needs. Families will work in collaboration with the case manager to develop a supportive team of family, professionals, and community members that will assist parents in meeting the needs of the child. Case managers will provide referrals to community resources and assist parents in advocating on behalf of their child. Parents can request culturally specific services for American Indian children. Read more
ICWA
Indian Child Welfare Legal Advocacy Project (ICWLAP) and ICWA Compliance Project (ICWACP), were created to enforce local compliance with the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA was created to keep American Indian children with American Indian families in response to the alarmingly high number of Indian children being removed from their homes by public and private agencies. ICWACP, established in 1998, provides court monitoring and reporting on cases involving American Indian children and the ICWLAP provides legal representation to American Indian families (through a collaboration with SMRLS), and education/outreach to identify systemic problems and strategize on solutions regarding ICWA compliance. The goal of these efforts is to prevent the dissolution of Indian families and to reduce the number of American Indian children in out-of-home placement. Read more
Beverley A. Benjamin Youth Lodge
The Beverly A. Benjamin Youth Lodge, established in 1996, is a critical resource for shelter youth with no safe home to return to, youth who have ‘aged-out’ of the foster care system, and youth who are homeless and unaccompanied. Named after a much beloved former staff person, the Youth Lodge provides transitional housing for up to six youth between the ages of 16 and 21 for up to 18 months. In addition to an emphasis on educational and employment goals, the Youth Lodge encourages youth to contribute monetary, physical, and interpersonal resources to the home and community, and to develop a support system to meet holistic needs of the body, mind, and spirit. Youth Lodge services emphasize the relationship between youth and positive Native role models (staff) as a means to teach new behaviors, learn appropriate ways to express feelings, manage the tasks of everyday living, and get physical, emotional, and spiritual needs met. Creating community and cultural connection is a tool to tap the inner strengths and resiliency of youth to prepare them for independent or inter-dependent living. Read more
Street Outreach
The Street Outreach component of the Youth Lodge, added in 1997, provides street-based support to runaway/homeless youth. The need for street outreach services continues to grow as adolescents and young adults increasingly fall outside of local program safety nets and the priorities of public child welfare policy. Case workers visit popular youth hang-outs, bus and light-rail transit stations, schools, and homeless social service agencies and distribute health/personal care supplies, information on available housing and healthcare resources, and bus tokens to access services.
Case management and referrals are provided for emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, and drop-in services where youth can eat a hot meal, make a phone call, or do laundry. A major goal of street outreach work is letting youth know that there is somewhere to go for help and encouraging youth to access these supports. Read more
