TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Ask Raven
Siletz Tribal Alcohol & Drug Programs
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 be answered here. If you
want a confidential answer to a question,
please leave an address and Raven will
contact you.
Dear Raven: My husband has been
in residential treatment for several
months. He is now home and is acting
like he did before he went to treatment.
I’m afraid he will relapse if he hasn’t
already. What should I do? Afraid for
my Husband
Dear Afraid for my Husband: Your
question is excellent and is a common one
among wives who have stood by their
husbands in this most difficult time of
your marriage. Relapse is a real problem
and those who have relapsed found it very
costly - and some found it very fatal.
We don’t have to relapse but as hard
as it is, relapse has much to teach us. It
reminds us that recovery is a wonderful
thing and a fragile gift. Relapse teaches
us that we must go to great lengths and
do whatever it takes to stay clean and sober.
Recovery is not a simple line that
rises straight up from hopelessness to joy.
There are many ups and downs.
Sometimes life can seem boring and
without meaning. On our worst days, all
we can seem to do is hold on for dear life.
At those times, we need to put forth even
more effort into using whatever support
system we have for our recovery - your
church, family, sweat lodge and the Twelve
Step Program. The times we are tested the
most can be our times of greatest growth.
Even if we relapse, we can always
come back to our support system and they
are always glad to see you and greet you
with open arms. Relapse also teaches us
that we need the fellowship of others.
Where recovery is concerned, there are
no solo performances.
Drugs mean many things to people.
It’s important for us to sort out the spe
cific things that can trigger our decision
to use again, for example, social events,
parties, certain songs, and your old bud
dies coming back and tempting you.
There are as many options for staying
clean as there are for using. Take the time
to think of your options ahead of time.
We also can remind ourselves to call
people from our support system and know
that the desire to use today will pass.
Here is a worksheet you and your
husband can use.
Plan for Your Relapse
Triggers
1) . What situations triggered drug use for
you? Describe them.
2) . What people triggered drug use?
Name them.
3) . What places triggered drug use for you?
4) . What are your top five trigger situa
tions and what five alternatives can you
plan ahead of time to avoid drug use?
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Siletz News
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Prevention, Outpatient Treatment, and
Women’s Transitional
Siletz: 1-800-600-5599 or
541-444-8286
Eugene: 541-484-4234
5) . List four things/people/places/activi-
ties you used to enjoy before your
addictions took control of your life.
Also know that if you look in your
local phone book, you will find Al-Anon
family group meetings for your area. I
would greatly suggest this for you and
your family as a support system for you.
Additionally, a great many books exist on
men’s recovery, such as Men’s Issues in
Recovery by Craig Nakken.
During the first few weeks or months
of his clean time, it’s important to keep
ourselves occupied with activities, places,
and people not related to drugs or alco
hol. We avoid drug-related people, activi
ties, and hangouts. Though it may not feel
like it right now, there was life before
drugs and there is a life after drugs. It’s
just waiting for all of us right now. Raven
A&D Program
Announcement
Delina John has accepted the position
of prevention coordinator. Delina has
been working in the Prevention Program
as the youth development specialist, a grant-
funded position. Congratulations, Delina!
ATOD and Youth
Delinquency Prevention
Parents, if you think your child may
be at risk for alcohol, tobacco, or other
drug problems and/or juvenile delin
quency behaviors, please call Delina John
at 1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286, or
Christy Field in the Portland Area Office
at 503-238-1512.
One of them will talk with you about
risk factors and those things that help pro
tect your child from developing those
problems. They will help you develop a
prevention plan that will support you as
parents and provide your child with sup
port for making good choices.
Men! We still need adult male vol
unteers, even once a year, to chaperone a
youth prevention activity. Please contact
us if you have any interest!
Meth Task Force Meeting
Aug. 3 - Noon
Siletz Tribal Housing
Department Conference Room
The Meth Task Force is open to
all community members - youth and
adults. We know a lot of people are
concerned about the methamphet
amine epidemic in this community.
You can make a difference.
August 2005
Please join us!
Salem: 503-390-9494
Portland: 503-238-1512
TLC Attitudes of Gratitude
As I sit here looking out my windows
to the world, it looks like a soggy, misty
world out there. It’s July 8 and I want
sunshine, sunshine, sunshine! Perhaps by
the time this paper comes out, I’ll be wish
ing for a day of rain, rain, rain. Never sat
isfied, we humans ...
When I think about it though, I am
thankful that I won’t have to get out the
garden hose to revive my drying potted
plants. Very thankful, as it’s a big chore.
Maybe tomorrow will give the warmth of
the sun again. Hope springs eternal!
At the TLC, there definitely are things
to be grateful for. Our much-needed reno
vation projects are in full swing.
The new roofs on the decks are a big
improvement. Coupled with the new pro
tective finish on the deck floors and rail
ings, this should ensure many more years
of service and is much more attractive
than the weathered wood. I’ll catch you
up on the other projects in the next issue
after they are completed.
Thank you to our donors this past
month: Anita Wheeler for food items
and a box of sheets and pillow cases, to
Anonymous for a much-needed lamp
shade, and to Paulina Burnette for a large
assortment of teas and coffees. We appre
ciate you very much!
We also appreciate our faithful over
night volunteers: Jackie Ashley, Carrie
White, Alice McCain, and Elizabeth
Kosydar. We would appreciate you too,
if you are a woman who is clean and so
ber, at least six months in recovery, who
would like to offer your services to the
TLC and its hard-working residents!
Please give Lynn Whitlow a call to vol
unteer or to ask questions. We need you!
Call 541-444-8238 or 1-800-922-1399,
ext. 1238.
Also, remember that we hold a
Women’s Talking Circle on the second
Wednesday of each month. We invite you
to be there. Potluck dinner begins at
5:45 p.m., followed by the Talking Circle
at 6:30 p.m.
Have a wonderful summer!
August USDA Distribution Dates
by Joyce Retherford
Salem
Siletz
Monday Aug. 1
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 15
1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 2
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 16
9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 3
9 a.m. -3 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 17
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 4
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 5
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
First of all, I need to tell my boss, Kitti
Hostler, get well soon! We all miss you.
Next I want to thank Nancy McCrary
and the whole Programs II staff for all
the help they have given me while Kitti
has been out.
In June, USDA staff attended the
National Association of Food Distribution
Programs on Indian Reservations
(NAFDPIR) conference in Rapid City,
S.D. It was a real eye-opener to visit the
USDA warehouse on the Pine Ridge Res
ervation, where they serve between 6,3(X)
and 7,000 clients per month.
They not only serve out of a ware
house, they also truck food out to the sur
rounding pueblos and serve right out of
the back of the truck. Their warehouse is
not in the best shape and it’s very unsani
tary, but 1 can see how they don’t have
time to do any cleaning. It really makes
me appreciate the nice facility that Kitti
keeps for our people.
We have been receiving seasonal pro
duce at USDA, such as peaches, nectar
ines, and corn on the cob. I know our
clients have been very happy with the
choices they have and they are taking
more and more of the fresh produce home.
I have been to the Pear Bureau North
west Web site and found some pear
ripening bags to give to our clients and
some tote bags will be available soon that
can be reused monthly when clients come
in to get their food. This will cut down
on the plastic bags we have been using. I
hope we can get enough for everyone.
See you next month! Happy meals!’