North Homes Children and Family Services appoints supervised visits, safe exchange program

BEMIDJI — In collaboration with community partners and local leaders,

North Homes Child and Family Services

celebrated a significant milestone Thursday with a naming ceremony for its Secure Visit and Exchange (SVSE) program.

The event, hosted by North Homes Chief Operating Officer Tara Hokuf, featured speakers who highlighted the development of the program and its importance to the community.

The SVSE program was developed to address a critical gap in services for families involved in custody disputes, domestic violence and child protection concerns.

The initiative aims to provide a safe environment where children can safely visit their non-custodial parents under supervision, filling a critical need in the Bemidji area. North Homes partnered with the Ninth Judicial District and local stakeholders to bring this project to life, creating a safe and healing space for vulnerable families with unique and varied needs.

Made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, the program builds on about five years of grassroots work by community advocates.

At the center of the ceremony was the official name of the program, Noojimowiji Giinawind Abinoojiyug, which loosely translates to “we heal together from an illness in the presence of our children” in Ojibwe.

Jonathan Goodman, housing coordinator at the Northwest India Community Development Center, was asked to help name the SVSE program. He shared the personal and spiritual journey that earned him the honor of naming the program and how his own incarceration helped grow him.

“Over the past few years, I’ve personally known what I’ve been missing, and I know what everyone in my family has been missing,” he reflected. “I want to be able to support, because where we are all broken is where the houses are not. They don’t come together as a house And it starts with the children, mothers and fathers. That’s what I came to call this program, and I’m honored.

Jim Christmas, President and CEO of North Homes, expressed his gratitude to all who contributed to the success of the program.

“This is a big day,” Christmas said. “I am very proud of the great work that has been done by all of our staff and the stakeholders that have really supported this mission. Thank you very much.”

He also highlighted the history of North Homes since its founding in 1990, as well as the organization’s growth in Beltrami County that led to the initiation of the SVSE program – emphasizing key partnerships and relationships.

“They are all coming together to make something that is a vital need a huge success,” he added.

Mayor Jorge Prince expressed his gratitude for North Homes’ role in addressing Bemidji’s disparities in services.

“We know our community has a lot of needs, and when we have quality providers that can step into that gap and help heal and restore … it’s really, really important,” Prince said.

He also acknowledged the board, staff and everyone involved at North Homes and the Ninth Judicial District for making the program a reality, adding, “I’m very, very grateful.”

Ninth Judicial District Judge Annie Claesson-Huseby reflected on the years of planning that led to the center’s creation.

“It’s a joy to be here today because it makes the connection between that first meeting more than five years ago, pre-COVID, and today when we actually open the doors, calling it the supervised visitation center,” Claesson-Huseby said .

She emphasized the program’s role in providing a safe and welcoming environment for parents and children affected by domestic violence or custody disputes.

Michelle Nelson, director of North Homes and community-based services and SVSE monitor, also spoke about the program’s focus on safety, explaining several security measures that are in place.

“We wanted to get a place where kids could come, where non-custodial parents and custodial parents could come and know that their kids were going to be safe,” Nelson said.

She pointed out how two monitors oversee each visit, and cameras are installed at entrances, exits, hallways and in visiting rooms, which also have audio capabilities.

Non-custodial parents arrive through a separate entrance 15 minutes before the visit, while custodial parents bring their children into the visiting room. Visits follow strict guidelines, and if any participant breaks these rules, monitors step in to redirect or, if necessary, end the session.

Unable to attend the ceremony, Domestic Violence Court Coordinator Deb Baer shared a message read by her daughter, Nikki Miller.

Baer’s message reflected the gap in local resources he has witnessed for families affected by domestic violence and other family abuse.

“It has become apparent that there is a gap in providing safe, accessible and free visitation and exchange services for families experiencing intimate partner violence, dating violence and stalking in our community,” shared Miller on Baer’s behalf.

She also honored the importance of coming together with tribal partners to support the program, as Native women are seven times more likely than white women to lose their lives to intimate partner violence in Minnesota.

“Meaningful connection and cultural support from our tribal partners is vital to the work we do in developing best practices, creating change and improving opportunities for survivors and children facing barriers to safety,” she wrote.

Pendleton blankets were presented to Goodman and Donald Fairbanks, Ombishkaa coordinator at NWICDC, for their cultural advice and participation in the naming process. While working with batterer intervention programs, Fairbanks spoke about the impact of emotional healing for men in the community and ending cycles of trauma and violence.

He’s noticed that some men initially just check the boxes for probation, but that they open up more as they go through the program.

“I’m saying, ‘I’m talking about these things for the first time in my life,'” Fairbanks said, “and he’s expressing emotions, which I think is a big part of what we lack as men in the community because you’re taught as little boys that doing such things is weakness.”

As the ceremony concluded, participants left knowing that Noojimowiji Giinawind Abinoojiyug represents a commitment to providing families with a safe and supportive environment for collective healing.

“Together, we can create lasting change,” Baer left. “Blessings to our partners at North Homes Children and Family Services, our cultural advisors and all who enter these doors.”