Page 8
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
July 3, 2019
Elder abuse, addiction focus of work group gathering
by Sarah Frank
W.S. Behavioral Health
What is effective and will
help our elders to be safe?
What is helping to prevent
elder abuse now?
What is ‘unconditional
love’? What is co-depen-
dency? How can we effec-
tively help our addicted loved
ones? And what can we do
individually to have a positive
impact?
These questions were
posted on the walls at the El-
der Abuse and Addiction
Community Education Com-
munity Education class, held
in June at the Social Hall.
The Warm Springs Meth
and Opiate work group voted
earlier on having the Elder
Abuse and Addiction Com-
munity Education Class.
Wilson Wewa Sr. was asked
to present, as being one
knowledgeable on elder abuse
in Indian Country.
Wilson shared some facts
about elder abuse in Warm
Springs. Marcia Minthorn
shared a powerful testimony
of her history of recovery,
noting that her addiction af-
fected her relationship with
her mother atwai Gladys Th-
ompson.
Delson Suppah Sr. shared
his experience as an alcohol
and drug counselor, and some
history. Gary Wright intro-
duced himself as a new al-
cohol and drug counselor at
Warm Springs Behavioral
Health. He shared a part of
his testimony.
Orie Made shared about
the Healing Forest; while
Edna Tufti and family
cooked a delicious dinner!
Highlights from pre-
senters were:
Say No! Get involved.
File a report. Do not give
out your pin number, and
do not co-sign.
Positive energ y. Care
more and support. Spiritu-
ality. Share. Learn from our
own teachings.
Take action on abuse.
Walk in our ways gifted to
us.
Highlights from 44
evaluations: Question: Do
you have any suggestions on
how to help with the Elder
Abuse issue in War m
Springs?
Answers: Speak up and
help protect elders. Hold
classes on setting healthy
boundaries.
Yes, We as people need
to take a stand.
Advocate for elders
could check on all elders
maybe two to three times a
week.
Speak to the abuser and
let him or her know, some
how.
Courtesy Sarah Frank
Orie Made presents ‘the Healing Forest’
Have a gathering to show
the ‘items to use drugs’—
paraphernalia—so we can be
informed.
Question: Do you have
any suggestions on how we
can help our families with
addiction problems?
Answers: Don’t make
judgments over addiction,
because that won’t solve
anything.
Practice hard, harsh in-
tervention.
Confidential phone calls
or visits with the Warm
Springs Police Department.
Have a designated police
officer visit the home.
Train the children and
youth on alcohol and drug
addiction, and they’ll talk
about it.
It start with the person’s
heart wanting the healing.
Tough love! We all know
who is dealing drugs, tell on
them, turn them in.
We all need to work to-
gether—Family members,
the police and court system,
victims of crime, Tribal
Council, departments, all of
us.
We need immediate re-
sponse when situations oc-
cur. We need our own drug
rehab building.
We need emergency
backup for ‘high’ people, to
protect them from them-
selves and others.
More outreach: Some-
times if abuse is happening
in the home, we tend to
want to just stay in a safe
place— maybe in our
rooms and not answering
doors.
Question: Do you have
any suggestions for future
meetings, topics and presen-
tations?
Have a class for the
younger people to under-
stand elder abuse.
Have a victim of elder
abuse talk.
Victims of crimes, and
struggles of people from
prisons, and family of
people sent to prison.
Intervention with abus-
ers and users. Do interven-
tions with households.
Have a panel of elders
who have been abused or
used, or know of the people
who were.
Too many prescription
drugs seem to be going to
to seniors, everyone.
Question: Any other
comments?
I really loved the speak-
ers. They opened up my
eyes.
We need to unite, alto-
gether, and combat these is-
sues we face today.
Stages and levels of vio-
lations are killing the spiri-
tual light of our people,
each one. Bring the Spirit
back into our people.
Very good food and
speakers, and it was good
to see the many people
here.
Very good presenters. I
enjoyed all the speakers.
Thank you for your concern
for elders.
T h a n k Yo u Wa r m
Springs Behavioral Health
for providing the meal, and
the Communication Grant
provided by Alyssa Macy for
door prizes.
We do plan to have fu-
ture Meth and Opiate Work
Group community education
classes. Please join us. For
more information contact
Sarah Frank at 541-553-
3205.