TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Siletz Tribal Alcohol & Drug Programs
Prevention, Outpatient Treatment, and
Women’s Transitional
Siletz: 1-800-600-5599 or
541 -444-8286
Eugene: 541-484-4234
Salem: 503-390-9494
Portland: 503-238-1512
TLC Attitudes of Gratitude
As I write, spring (well, almost
spring) sunshine is streaming through the
window. A bouquet of daffodils and for
sythia, a burst of gold, is on the dining
room table. So easy to smile and be grate
ful on a day like this!
I am so looking forward to May and
June to see if any of those rhododendrons
that we planted in the heat of summer,
with the assistance of the summer em
ployment youth, will bloom. Thus far,
they have all survived and the big old ones
we transplanted from Newport look like
they have been growing here for years!
Hope, hope they all bloom! Thanks
again to those youth who did all that back-
breaking hole digging and day-after-day
watering. You were and are awesome!
We continue to recognize our faith
ful overnight volunteers for the invaluable
service that they provide. The feeling of
security is so important for emotional
well-being.
Since last writing, those volunteers
I'd like to recognize are Alice McCain,
Joan Hartung, Denise Riding In, Carrie
White, Jenifer Metcalf, Jackie Ashley,
Lisa Brown, and Crista Whittington.
Some of them are once-a-week volun
teers, some once every other week, and
others are on call as needed.
We truly do need a few more good
women to commit a few nights a month
to help. Volunteer today! The training
program is brief and virtually painless.
The good you do is immeasurable!
For more information and to sign up,
please call Lynn at 541-444-8238 or
1-800-922-1399, ext. 1238. I’ll train one
or three or 10 and any in between.
Receiving donations from folks in the
community at large (from here to eter
nity!) truly helps the resident operations
fund and the residents’ limited budgets.
We had some good citizens pass on some
items this past month that have been put
to good use.
Sunshine Keck provided us with two
12-count rolls of toilet tissue, and Tamara
Morrow and Selina Kissinger both do
nated a variety of toiletries for resident use.
If you would like to help, some items
we could put to good use include A A bat
teries; aluminum foil; laundry soap; some
good cookware - pots and pans with lids,
including a large one; and fresh or frozen
meat (wild game is welcome).
For those of you who care, help, and
donate, we’re grateful! Have a lovely spring!
Youth Center Hours
3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday (closed Sundays)
541-444-8395 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1395
April Activities
Ask Raven
Raven will answer your questions
about problems associated with alcohol,
tobacco, and other drugs. Look for boxes
in tribal offices with Raven's picture. You
can leave your questions for Raven in
these boxes. Those questions suitable for
Siletz News will he answered here. If you
want a confidential answer to a question,
please leave an address and Raven will
contact you.
Dear Raven: I heard there’s a drug
that people can take that will make
them not want to drink alcohol any
more. Is there such a drug? Where can
I get it? Should quit
Dear Should quit: Yes, there is a drug
called Naltrexone that has helped alco
holics reduce or stop drinking. Naltrex
one, which is not addictive, is considered
an option as a short-term treatment method
for alcoholism. The results of studies of
the use of Naltrexone show a 36 percent
reduction of relapse to heavy drinking in
the first three months of treatment.
Naltrexone blocks the brain’s recep
tors for natural painkillers, known as opio
ids, which normally create the feeling of
well-being associated with drinking.
Advice from an old Raven is this -
“Be aware of all the options available and
find the best one for you. See someone,
stay in treatment, and over time you're
going to get better." Raven
Dear Raven: Can you help me un
derstand why my mother gambles so
much? Anonymous
Dear Anonymous: People gamble for
many reasons. You may be surprised to
know that in Oregon, women with gam
bling problems outnumber men.
Of all the women in gambling treat
ment programs in the last year, 39
percent had committed illegal acts, 56
percent had lost a marriage or other sig
nificant relationship, 25 percent had job
problems, and 12 percent had experienced
suicidal thoughts.
With 37 percent of these gamblers
having a child at home, many children
have been affected. And the average
gambling-related debt of women was
equal to a year’s household income.
The good news is this - a study of
the effectiveness of Oregon's gambling
treatment programs found that 79 percent
of clients were successful in eliminating
or significantly reducing their gambling.
Let your mother know in a caring way
that you are concerned. Give her informa
tion about where she can go for help. Most
tribal, county, and private mental health
and addiction programs work with people
who have problems with gambling.
Casinos have information about gam
bling problems and where to get help. And
there’s a toll-free gambling help line -
1-877-2-STOP-NOW. There, certified
gambling counselors provide information
and assist callers with choosing a resource
to help them quit or reduce their gambling.
If you would like to talk with some
one about your own feelings about what
is going on in your mother’s life, I en
courage you to see a counselor. And please
let me know how you are doing. Raven
Announcements
If you think your child may be at risk
for alcohol, tobacco, or other drug
problems and/or juvenile delinquency
behaviors, please call Delina or Crista at
1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286.
One of them will talk with you about
risk factors and those things that help pro
tect your child from developing these
problems. They will help you develop a
prevention plan that will support you as a
parent and provide your child with sup
port for making good choices.
Meth Task Force Meeting
April 6, 2005 - Noon
Siletz Tribal Housing Department
Conference Room
April 4: Youth Center Committee meet
ing, 6 p.m.
April 6: Craft Night. 5-7 p.m.
April 9: Litter Patrol, I-3 p.m. - must
have signed permission slip to attend
Male Volunteers Needed
April 23: Group Hiking,
12-3 p.m. - must have signed
permission slip to attend
April 27: Craft Night, 5-7 p.m.
We still need adult male volunteers,
even once a year, to chaperone a youth
prevention activity. Please contact us if
you have any interest.
Area Office Services
We have a new counselor in the Eu
gene area office. Please call Nora Moore
if you need A&D services in the Eugene
area. A vacancy still exists in Portland and
Conrad is going there once a week. Hope
fully, there will be a counselor there soon.
If you have any questions about ser
vices, please call the Siletz office at
1 -8(M)-600-5599 or 541-444-8286.
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Siletz News
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April 2005