TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Ask Raven
Attention! Important Announcement!
Raven will answer your questions
about problems associated with alco
hol, tobacco and other drugs. You can
call in your questions to the numbers
below or mail them to:
On Oct. 9, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. on all major television stations
throughout the state of Oregon, a community awareness media
roadblock called Crystal Darkness will be shown. It will tell the
truth about meth. You don’t want to miss this!
Raven
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
Dear Raven: I heard there is
medieine people can take that keeps
them off of alcohol. By Anonymous
Dear Anonymous: Yes, there is a
drug called Naltrexone that doctors can
prescribe for some people to help re
duce the craving for alcohol. It must
be taken every day or it will not be ef
fective. There also is a similar inject
able drug that can be taken every 30 days.
The important thing that doctors
will tell you if you are interested is that
treating any addiction with medication
alone is not advised. That would be like
someone with a heart condition taking
their heart medicine but still eating what
ever they want, not having an exercise
program and living a high-stress life.
These drugs may help people who
are doing everything their counselor
recommends but who still are having
difficulty managing their craving.
I hope 1 have given you the infor
mation you were looking for. If not,
please write again or talk with your
primary care physician.
Sincerely, Raven
Red Ribbon Week is Oct. 23-31.
Check with your local school for activities.
Prevention
by Delina John
Substance abuse prevention works
to boost protective factors and eliminate
or reduce risk factors for alcohol, tobacco
and other drugs. Prevention programs
are designed for various ages and can
be designed for individual or group set
tings, such as the school and home.
There are three types of programs:
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TLC Attitudes of Gratitude
by Lynn Whit low
What do you have to be grateful for?
Can you and do you find something ev
ery day to give thanks for? How often
do you stop and think about the good
things in your life, to focus on the posi
tives instead of getting dragged down
by the negatives - the unpleasant
events or disasters that strike our life?
Even optimists can get into a “poor
me” mode if they/we don’t really fo
cus daily on the good in our lives. Make
out a list and put it somewhere that you
will notice and read often. See if focus
ing on your joys and blessings will help
you out when the blahs, barbs and blows
occur in your life.
I asked a TLC resident what she had
to be grateful for in her life today. It only
took her a few seconds to roll off the
following list of blessings in her life: I'm
clean and sober, I’m grateful for my fam
ily, my Mom, and a good man in my life.
I’m grateful that I’m a mom, for my
children, for you and what you’ve done
for me, for God. I'm grateful for being
Native American, for another chance
in life, and for being able to change.
How quickly can you list at least 10
things you are grateful for? Start now.
At TLC we are grateful to Vera
Lafferty for donating some current read-
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Siletz News
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ing material and to John Spence for the
gift of salmon. Thanks to both of you!
Thank you to A&D staff for taking
time to help residents with needs.
Thank you to volunteers Alice McCain
and Stephanie Rilatos for gifting us with
your time and company. Thank you,
Trish, for providing weekend “extras”
with your big smile. All of you are
much appreciated.
Women, please join us at TLC for
our monthly Talking Circle. It’s always
a blessing for the women who attend.
Take your burdens off your shoulders
and share them with us.
Recently a women’s domestic vio
lence support group has been started in
the area. If you would like more infor
mation, give me a call (541-444-8238)
and I’ll pass on contact information to
you. This is a confidential group.
We can always use new volunteers
at the TLC. Make a difference in your
community. Giving of yourself to others
takes some focus off yourself and your
concerns. It feels good to help others.
Try it. Give me a call at 541-444-8238
or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1238.
Fall is in the air. Put an extra blan
ket on the bed!
October 2007
Universal Programs address risk
and protective factors common to
all children in a given setting, such
as a school or community.
Selective programs target groups
of children and teens who have fac
tors that further increase their risk of
alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
Indicated programs are designed
for youth who already have begun
abusing drugs.
When prevention programs are
properly implemented by schools and
communities, the use of alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs is reduced. Such pro
grams help teachers, parents, and health
care professionals shape youths’ per
ceptions about the risks of drug abuse.
While many events and factors af
fect trends, when youth perceive alco
hol, tobacco and other drug use as
harmful, they reduce their level of abuse.
We at the Siletz Tribal Prevention
Program use screening tools to help
you get a clear picture of your youth’s
risk and protective factors. We then can
work with you and your youth to de
velop a confidential prevention plan
that includes services to meet each
young person’s individual needs.
The Siletz Tribal Prevention Pro
gram works side by side with other tribal
programs, community resources, and
schools to create a healthier community
and be a resource to youth and families.
The Four Healing Principles are our
guides to how we provide the services
and programs for youth in the commu
nity. They are:
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Healing from problems associated
with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
comes from within - ourselves, our
tribe, our community. Together, we
will find the support and resources
to heal, renew and rebuild.
Our journey is linked to the past.
We will use traditions, cultural val
ues and knowledge to strengthen
ourselves and our community.
We will send a message to our chil
dren and families about the harm
ful effects of alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs.
The healing of the individual, the
community and the tribe go hand
in hand and are inseparable.
The Siletz Tribal Prevention Pro
gram team works hard to provide the
best possible services to community
members and believes that anything is
possible for our youth. If you have any
questions or need services, please call
I-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286 and
ask for me.
A list of activities or services we
can provide is as follows:
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Community education
Youth leadership
Ropes course
Outdoor activities, including hiking,
kayaking, canoeing or whitewater
rafting
Family and individual prevention
planning
Siletz Community Accountability
Board (CAB)
Support services to incarcerated youth
*Some information in this article pro
vided by National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA)