What is Circle?
Circle is a way of life and communication taught to us by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in 2002. Circle is a different way to have conversations, by actually sitting in a Circle and using a talking piece to direct the flow of communication. Circle is a value-laden process that involves all members of community. It is a voluntary process that empowers all who participate, giving everyone a voice in any decisions or outcomes. Circle is about accountability for each of us and our community, and about shared leadership with no hierarchy in the process. Circle is made up of children, adults, families, and community volunteers coming together to problem solve, learn, grow in relationships and skills, repair harm, celebrate, and find connections.
Here in Yellow Medicine County, we have many different types of Circles:
2001 Circle Sentencing
Circle Sentencing is a partnership between the traditional justice system, communities, and families. Circle Sentencing in YMC is designed to support young people who have caused harm to repair what has been broken, give a voice to the individuals harmed, and help support and change behavior of the young person in order to decrease the likelihood of harm happening again.
*2007 Local Government Innovation Award – Association of MN Counties
*2014 President’s Award – Minnesota Corrections Association
2009 Family & Community Circle
Family & Community Circle is a partnership with family services and other referral sources to provide community support to families struggling with harm, danger, neglect, and isolation. This Circle brings families together to learn new ways of communicating, problem-solving, and creating safety.
2010 Circle of Hope
Circle of HOPE is a support Circle for those struggling with addiction. Referrals to Circle of Hope happen at the time of entrance into treatment facilities – community volunteers travel to treatment centers to provide Circles of support and create new sober networks. Upon return to the community, people in recovery have a safe network to utilize when faced with old habits, environments, and friends.
*2012 Circle of Excellence Award – Department of Health and Human Services
2013 Transition Circle
Transition Circle is designed to build support around youth in placement (relative care, residential, foster care, or delinquency placements) to create communication with family, design safety plans to return home, and keep them connected to their community.
2015 Circle in Schools
Circles are used in many different forms in schools in Yellow Medicine County. Circles provide a space for young people to connect, learn how to listen to each other, learn how to communicate effectively with their peers, and find support.
2015 Restoration Circles
Restoration Circles are used within Yellow Medicine County to provide a forum for county employees to discuss what is going well in their work as well as what is needed to do better or move through difficulty. This Circle provides a space for discussion that alleviates the secondary trauma to individuals who work with difficult cases within the system while increasing understanding and collaboration between departments.
2018 SHIFT Circle
Shift Circle provides a community and strength-based process to enhance the ability of people currently incarcerated to safely return to their community and maintain a healthy lifestyle upon their return. Acting through the Circle, community members will play an equal role in encouraging and empowering people in transition to identify and enhance their strengths while finding solutions.
2019 Mom’s Circle
This Circle was created to support women, specifically mothers, who are struggling in the community. This Circle is designed for support, access to resources, learning new skills, and discussing the joys and frustrations of parenting with each other and community volunteers who are parents.