North Dakota Lead Exposure Outreach Program

September 15, 2025 | Madison Novosel, Paula Comeau

Tribal Communication Plan

Partnerships with local jurisdictions are crucial to the effectiveness of the North Dakota Lead Prevention Program. This collaboration enhances the depth and sustainability of the community outreach. One priority after transitioning the program from the Department of Environmental Quality to North Dakota Health and Human Services was to connect with local public health units and ensure they were informed about the change. When reaching out to local partners, the lead prevention team realized that there was not a document that clearly outlined who the correct contacts were between tribal communities and state agencies for lead-related events.

Recognizing this gap led the team to develop a communication plan to strengthen coordination between the tribal and state lead prevention programs with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s environmental health official. This communication plan established points of contact between the state program and tribal government officials if a lead-related event were to occur involving tribal members or on tribal land. It clearly charted out the corresponding contacts for specific scenarios, which included:

• A tribal community member who lives on or off the reservation receives an elevated blood lead result.
• A tribal community member in the Head Start Program receives an elevated blood lead result.
• An environmental assessment or remediation is requested/needed on tribal lands.
• Tribal government officials are interested in hosting a screening event or identifying a screening clinic.

Community Engagement

The outreach to Standing Rock resulted in more opportunities for collaboration. NDHHS staff were invited to attend a community health event at the local high school. This opportunity revealed a gap in the state lead program; no formal outreach guidelines had been developed yet, as the program was (and still is) in its infancy. The team began to create a lead prevention curriculum guide to be used for low-cost outreach activities at the state and local level. The activities range from interactive lead-safe nutrition games to identifying potential lead hazards in a model home.

The team was able to pilot one of the activities in the curriculum guide at the Standing Rock Community High School’s “Walk for Wellness.” Students and community members were asked to play a game that teaches dietary tips for preventing lead poisoning for a prize. Over 30 students and 10 community members came to the table to learn about lead prevention and have open discussions around environmental health. This engagement not only strengthened connections between NDHHS and the Standing Rock community, but also expanded education on lead poisoning prevention to a new population.

Future Impact

Attending the Walk for Wellness event enhanced collaboration with local public health staff also participating in the event. These in-person conversations offered firsthand insight into the challenges rural communities are facing in accessing care and lead testing. The team walked away with a better understanding of what needs to be addressed to support an increase in statewide lead screening, as well as deeper connections with new and existing partners.

The lead outreach team at NDHHS will continue to seek more opportunities to conduct outreach efforts throughout the state, including other tribal communities. While spreading lead prevention education through outreach is important, having the opportunity to connect with those in communities face-to-face around the state is invaluable. These connections are essential to decreasing the burden of lead exposure across North Dakota.