Page 6 August 15,1995 SMOKE SIGNALS
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Youth enjoy the basketball hoop that was installed this summer at the far end of the Commu
nity Center parking lot.
Changes at Nanitch Sahallie make it a
better treatment center for tribal youth
By Tracy Dugan
Nanitch Sahallie, which means, "To Look Upward" in Chinook jargon, is a tri bally-owned
youth residential treatment center in Keizer, Oregon. It is in its sixth year of operation, and some
recent changes have been made that have allowed clients and staff to work together better.
For the past six years, Nantich other anyway. Additionally, there tificate of Completion."
has been praised for its methods
and approach to helping tribal
youth overcome alcohol and drug
dependency. The methods in
clude counseling, personal assess
ments, assignments and learning
more about Native American cul
ture. Clients live at Nanitch, away
from family and friends. In the
past, this has all been done within
a seventy-day program period.
But Division Manager Dr. Bob
Ryan and the staff at Nanitch have
changed the way the program op
erates. In the past, Nanitch was
co-ed. Boys occupied half of the
living facilities, and girls the other.
Now, Nanitch has begun alternat
ing sessions. A class of girls just
graduated a couple of weeks ago,
and the boys have already moved
in to begin the next recovery pro
gram. "Part of our overall plan in
cludes quality improvements,"
said Dr. Ryan. "We have become
more and more concerned about
relationships and arguments be
tween the boys and girls."
Dr. Ryan explained that al
though it is against the rules at
Nanitch to have a boyfriend or
girlfriend, some of the clients
formed relationships with each
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would be arguments at times be
tween the boys and girls about
other things.
. Said Dr. Ryan, "Sometimes the
boys would say mean things to the
girls.. .try to make them uncom
fortable." He added that alternat
ing sessions helps all the clients
concentrate on the program.
Before this change, the average
completion rate was 40. When
the girls class graduated a few
weeks ago, 65 of them had suc
cessfully completed the program.
Another thing Nanitch has done
is limit the program to seven
weeks. Dr. Ryan says it helps the
client to know when he or she will
be able to go home. Before, it was
never a specific day.
"We'd say, 'If you get your
work complete, you can be done
in two weeks, but at the rate you're
going, you won't be done that
soon.' And then they'd realize that
they had to stay longer, so they
got frustrated and quit trying," Dr.
Ryan said. "Now we tell all cli
ents that they will go home after
seven weeks, and if they haven't
completed the program, they'll
have to come back. At gradua
tion, they receive a Certificate of
Continuation, rather than a Cer-
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He says the clients work better
with a set goal in their minds, and
don't get bored or frustrated as
easily.
Finally, Nantich has changed its
policy of how clients are admit
ted into the program. Now, once
a session begins, no new clients
can join the group or start the pro
gram. They wait for the next
group to begin. This way, every
one is working on the same level,
and no one can be intimidated
because he or she is a newcomer.
They all start at the same time, and
they all go home at the same time.
"Many of these kids come from
unstable or abusive homes," Dr.
Ryan said. "In the past some cli
ents had a negative response to
new members entering the pro
gram. This change would often
accelerate tension in the group."
Nanitch can accommodate 24
clients per session, and Dr. Ryan
stresses that unlike many treat
ment centers, families usually
don't have to wait a long time to
get a child in the program. They
receive referrals from other health
centers, Chemawa Indian School,
and other treatment centers in the
Portland area. The number for
Nanitch is (503)390-6973.
What to do if you think your child is on drugs
Take a deep breath. You're not
a failure as a parent. You're not
helpless. And you're not alone. If
you think you're a failure, consider
this: There are many kids with ne
glectful parents who do use drugs.
So the first thing to accept is that
drugs, while indeed dangerous, are
one more problem for youngsters
to handle. And they'll, do it better
and faster if you're aware,
invovled, and don't stick your head
in the sand.
The Aware Parent is the Good
Parent. Part of awareness and a
major deterrent to experimentation
is to talk to your kids about drugs.
But even with a lot of parental
involvement, there are no guaran
tees. So it's important to know the
symptoms of drug use and to take
action if you see your youngster
displaying them.
The Warning Signals. There
are no symptoms that are abso
lutely reliable. But there are clues.
Most of these symptoms tend to
be gradual, which is why parental
awareness is so important. But
don't jump to conclusions. Many
of the warning signs for drug use
are the same as those for depres
sion or for the ups and downs of
being a teenager. There's also the
possibility it's a physical or emo
tional problem. But whatever the
problem, we're talking about a
child who needs help. Right now.
Start with the Family. Noth
ing beats the power of love and
family support. That has to start
with a frank discussion.
Don't make it an attack. And
don't try to talk with your child if
he or she seems under the influ
ence. Wait for a calm moment and
then explain that you're worried
about certain behavior (be spe
cific) and give your child every
opportunity to explain. That
means really listening, not doing
all the talking.
At the same time, it's important
to speak frankly about the possi
bility of drugs. And it's particu
larly important to talk about your
values and why you're dead set
against drugs.
If your youngster seems evasive
or if his or her explanations are not
convincing, you may want to con
sult your doctor to rule out illness
and to ask for advice. You may
also want to have your child visit
a mental health professional to see
if there are emotional problems.
Further Action May Be Nec
essary. It your child seems non
responsive or belligerent, and you
suspect drugs are involved, imme
diate action is vital.
First, you'll need an evaluation
from a health professional skilled
in diagnosing adolescents with al
cohol or drug problems. You may
want to get involved with an in
tervention program to learn tech
niques that will help convince a
drug user to accept help. For the
user, there are self-help, outpa
tient, day care, residency, and 24
hour hospitalization programs.
The right program depends en
tirely on the circumstance and the
degree of drug involvement. Here,
you'll need professional help to
make an informed choice. An
other point: If a program is to suc
ceed, the family needs to be part
of it. This can mean personal or
family counseling. It may also
involve participating in a support
group where you learn about co
dependency and how not to play
into the problems that might
prompt further drug use.
If you don't know about drug
programs in your area, call your
family doctor, local hospital or
county mental health society, or
school counselor for a referral.
You can also call the national
helpline 1-800-662-HELP
for advice and a referral.
Whatever You Do, Don't Give
Up. That child who upsets you so
much is the same little boy or girl
who, only yesterday, gave you
such joy. They're in way over their
heads, and they never needed you
quite as much as they need you
now. No matter what they say.
For more information on how to
talk with your kids about drugs, call
1-800-624-0100, askforafreecopy
of "A Parent's Guide to Prevention. "
- The Tell-Tale Signs -Chronic
eye redness, sore
throat or dry cough.
Chronic lying, especially
about whereabouts.
Changes in friends.
Stealing.
Deteriorating relationships
with family members.
Wild mood swings, hostil
ity, or abusive behavior.
Chronic fatigue, with
drawal, carelessness about
personal grooming.
Major changes in eating or
sleeping patterns.
Loss of interest in favorite
activities, hobbies, sports.
School problems: slipping
grades, absenteeism.