Portland Observer Thursday, July 20,1070 Pe#e 3
Psychologist teaches nursing
Frequently seen in Portland, and
probably more visible in coming
months, are Bob Lamb and his staff
from the Seattle office o f the Com
munity Relations Service.
When the U.S. Departm ent o f
Justice’s Community Relations Ser
vice (CRS) opened its Northwest
Regional Office in Seattle in January
o f I974, there may have been those
who were not quite sure what it
would do.
The Service’s stated purpose was
clear enough: to expand its racial
conciliation/mediation assistance to
W ashington, Oregon, Idaho and
Alaska.
But the concept o f using con
ciliation /m ediation techniques to
resolve racial discrimination disputes
was not as widely understood, or ac
cepted, as it is today.
Just what role could such a federal
agency play in resolving race-related
problems in the Northwest? It’ s a
question that no longer needs an an
swer. In five years o f energetic ac
tiv ity , the Seattle o ffic e has
established itself as an integral part
o f the re g io n ’ s p ro ble m -solving
structure, and as a cham pion o f
mutual respect for the rights o f all.
“ We’ re an action-oriented agency,”
says the Service’ s Director, Gilbert
G. Pompa. "Y o u can write us if you
prefer, but a phone call w ill do just
by Kathryn H. Bogle
Answering the dictates o f her “ in
ternal d ia l’ ’ to " G o West young
woman" — Dr. Avis Graham did in
deed "G o West" when she accepted
an invitation to teach classes in Psy
chiatric-M ental Health Nursing in
Portland.
Dr. Graham came to the Rose City
in January o f this year and, in ac
cepting this very sensitive position,
she became the first (and only) Black
female Counseling Psychologist in
the state o f Oregon.
Much o f her time before she catne
to Portland was occupied with indi
vidual and group therapy, group
process and co-facilitation o f groups
which included medical doctors,
psychologists, medical students,
social w orkers, nurses and other
health care professional workers.
Here in Portland, Dr. Graham's
classes are made up o f graduate stu
dents who want to specialize or to
explore more deeply into one o f the
areas Dr. Graham is currently o f
fering to her classes. At present the
c u rric u lu m includes: G rou p and
Fam ily Therapy, Stress and Self
Management, Theory Development
and Community Psychiatry.
Some o f Dr. Graham’ s students
are already professionals who are
qualified to accept their own clients
or patients, but who want more ex
pertise in dealing w ith
the
pathology they find in certain aspects
o f their work. They find Dr. Graham
eminently qualified to help them be
cause o f her dual preparedness as a
psychologist and as a Psychiatric-
Mental Health Nurse.
As a graduate nurse. Dr. Graham
is a product o f Hunter College. From
New Y ork U n ive rsity came her
M aste r’ s in P sych iatric-M e nta l
H ealth N ursing w ith a m in or in
A d u lt E d uca tio n. U n ive rsity o f
Missouri Department o f Psychology
added a Master's degree in Counsel
ing Psychology.
The doctorate degree in Psycho
logy was earned at the University o f
Missouri-Columbia.
"B ig C ity” life is well known to
Dr. Graham . W idely traveled in
Africa and Europe, she is a native
New Yorker, born and bred there.
Her beginnings as a staff nurse were
there. She became a Head Nurse very
soon in her working career in the
Bronx at the Municipal Center. She
went on to be a health coordina
tor in a Headstart program in the
Bronx but was soon escalated to be
supervisor at the Hillside Psychiatric
Hospital on Long Island.
Perspectives o f human growth and
development from conception to old
age. are all w ithin Dr. Graham’ s
range o f interest. Career planning
and counseling have been a part o f
her daily lite too.
Dr. Graham was a group facilita
tor o f Human Sexuality Forums for
CSA conciliates ethnic/racial conflicts
as well. We leave the red tape to the
agencies that run the money
programs. Long application forms
and waiting lines are not a part o f
our operations.”
Following is a sampling o f recent
cases worked on by the Northwest
Region:
- The
alleged
unw arranted
shooting o f a Black man by an
Alaska state trooper which led the
N A A C P , clergy and state organi
zations to form a coalition to seek re
dress.
- School desegregation problems
in Portland, Seattle and other cities.
- Complaints by Black inmates o f
unfair treatment in the Oregon State
Penitentiary.
- Charges by Alaska native leaders
o f biased reporting about subsistence
w ha lin g , h u n tin g , fis h in g and
trap pin g. CRS helped sponsor a
statewide conference at which
Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians and
news representatives set up a struc
ture in improve reporting.
- A dispute between Puyallup In
dians and Tacoma authorities over
dredging the harbor.
Created by the C ivil Rights Act o f
1964, CRS was instructed by
Congress “ to provide assistance to
communities and persons therein in
resolving disputes, disagreements, or
difficulties relating to discriminatory
The Morris Morks House
1501 SV Homson Sneer
Portland 97201
Telephone 2 2 7 -2 6 6 6
DR A V IS G R A H A M
the University o f Missouri-Columbia
Medical Center in the behavioral
science division in Columbia. She
has trained counselors for the Rape
Hotline for the YW CA and has con
tributed her consultation services to
local Police Departments.
Concerns o f Black people, concerns
o f Black professional women and
concerns o f men and women in
general are concerns ot Dr. Graham,
also. She keeps in touch with Black
Studies departments and with A ffir
mative Action groups wherever she
may be. She keeps a two-way avenue
o f thought-exchange flowing easily
The Northwest scene has not let
this easterner down. Dr. Graham
likes our ocean She finds the Pacific
ju s t that " I t ’ s re fle ctive . I t ’ s
serious. I t ’ s th o u g h t-p ro vo kin g ,”
she says, and adds. "O u r Atlantic is
busy, restless, and active—always
something going o n ."
Our interest in ecology, and pre
servation o f the wilderness areas o f
the Northwest intrigue Dr. Graham.
The hope o f showing the unspoiled
areas o f nature for posterity— “ It is
sentimental as well as practical” —
brings her delight.
A nd the roses she enjoyed in
Washington Park? Memory o f their
fragrances evokes a sense o f security
in Dr. Graham as she contrasts the
wariness necessary when in Gentral
Park pathways.
D r. Graham feels that Black
people have "p o te n tia lly a better
chance to develop themselves here in
the west than in the cast — better
chances personally, and better as a
Black person.”
Memberships in professional orga
nizations are m aintained by D r.
Graham. She is a member o f New
York State Nurses A sso ciatio n;
American O rtho-Psychiatric Asso
ciatio n; American Association o f
Black Psychologists; and American
Psychological Association.
For herself, Dr. Graham would
like, “ some day soon” to resume a
private practice which she has con
ducted formerly. She might like to
do this in the west. Maybe right here
in Portland.
She likes us. W'e like knowing that
she is here. W’e need her.
W'e hope Dr. Graham w ill stay
with us—a long time.
DES C O N N A LL
Professional Corporation
LEGAL CLINIC
CONCENTRATING IN THE FIELDS OF:
School Board
nominations
(Continued from page I col. 6)
Noon, to consider adding names to
the list.
Any of the remaining 26 applicants
can request to be added to the
finalists, and can be added by a vote
o f three Board members. Also,
Board members can nominate any o f
the 26 persons, and they w ill be add
ed by a vote o f three members.
Mrs. Osly J. Gates notified the
Observer that she has asked that her
name be added to the finalists. Mrs.
Gates, who has been active in estab
lishing textbook selection criteria
and promoting multi-cultural educa
tio n , has fo u r years experience
evaluating desegregation proposals
fo r H EW at the regional and
national levels. She holds a Master’s
Degree in Business Adm inistration
in accounting. She is a resident o f the
Cleveland area and her daughter is a
graduate o f Cleveland High School.
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practices based on race, color, or
natinal origin . . .** T h a t inten
tionally broad mandate gives the
agency the freedom to cover the
spectrum o f discrimination issues
that Bivide com m unities along
racial/ethnic lines.
D iversity
characterizes
the
w orkload o f the Seattle O ffic e .
Lamb says his staff can never con
centrate on just one problem .
"There are always several different
things going on at once. For exam
ple, while I ’m busy here in Seattle,
say, working with the city to adopt
an improved police Firearms policy,
other members o f the staff might be
in Juneau w orking on a school
problem, or in Idaho consulting with
corrections authorities about the
alleged mistreatment of minority in
mates.
" A t the same time, each one o f us
is probably in phone contact with
somebody waiting for us to get free
so we can come and work on a dif
ferent type o f problem. We just do
the best we can using our time and
resources where the most serious and
pressing problems are.”
Counting Lamb himself, the office
has a com plem ent o f four con
ciliators and mediators, supported
by two clerical workers. Despite this
small staff, CRS’ Northwest Region
al Office is making its presence felt.
CRIMINAL LAW
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF INTOXICANTS
DOMESTIC RELATIONS
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
BANKRUPTCY
PERSONAL INJURY
WILLS - PROBATE
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
CONSUMER PROTECTION
If you have a problem that is not covered in this list, please call and ask
whether we can help. Chances are, we can. If not, we can recommend
someone else for you to call. One way or the other, we want to see you get
the kind of professional legal counsel you're entitled to.
The best time to call us, or any attorney, is before you are embroiled in a legal
problem. This is called preventative law and it makes a lot of sense.
Regardless, when you call us we will arrange for an initial consultation at
your convenience. Cost: $20. We probably can't solve anything in this meeting,
but it is a chance for you to explain your particular problem and for us to give
you some idea of what it'll take to reach a solution. If you want us to proceed,
we'll give you an estimate of the fees you should plan on. In writing.
Also expected to be added to the
list o f finalists by Board members
who were not on the screening com
mittee is Herb Cawthorne. Director
o f the Ecucational O pportunities
Program at Portland State Univer
sity, Cawthorne is co-chairman o f
the Community Coalition for School
Integration. Cawthorne, a graduate
o f the U niversity o f Oegon, is a
w riter and TV host. He has two
children at Irvington School.
On August 7th, at 7:30 p.m., the
Board w ill hold another p ub lic
meeting to interview the three candi
dates and any that have been added.
The appointment w ill be made at the
regular meeting, August 13th at 7:30
p.m. A ll meetings w ill be held at the
new edu catio na l center, 501 N.
Dixon.
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