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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1997)
OR. COLL. E 78 .06 S66 February 18, 1997 Nanitch Sahallie thriving under new gender-specific system W 1 iltfflfe I '. , A -4 C', """""I University of Oregon Library TS-- ? ' Vsl'"r T ' Recei ved on : 0 2 -2 1 -97 t" ; f . J Smoke signals . W, 1 I'd? LftJ. MjllltiMWIW,'K1 lll.ll I llmil maaiMmiUjar . -- ,; : .'; 'Vi rf,, , . I he General Council meeting was held on Feb ruary 2 at the Community Center. One pro gram report item was on the agenda Nan- itch Sahallie Youth Treatment Center which was given by Dr. Bob Ryan, manager of the facility. Dr. Ryan gave a brief history of Nanitch, and discussed some of the changes and improvements that have been made over the course of the year. Nanitch Sahallie is a live-in treatment center for adolescents ages 13-18 who are Native American. The clients do not have to be members of the Grand Ronde Tribe. Nanitch was established in 1989 and is located in Keizer, Oregon. Dr. Ryan said that in 1986 the idea of establishing youth treatment centers became popularized all over America, and the Tribal Council became aware of the fact that Native youth needed help with drug and alcohol ad diction the same as adults do. Nanitch is one of only eight Native American youth treatment centers in the entire country. "We try to address all aspects of the client's life by using a holistic model of recovery," said Dr. Ryan. A holistic approach to recovery means that Nanitch's staff tries to impress upon the clients the importance of physi cal, intellectual, spiritual health, and how overall wellness is a vital part of living a happy life. The physical aspect of the program focuses on exercise, nutrition, and how addiction and dependency to dnigs and alcohol compromises and endangers the body. The intel lectual aspect of the program focuses on knowledge and the importance of education for the client's future as well as being able to truly understand the harm chemical depen dency causes in the lives of young people. Finally at Nan itch, clients are encouraged to discover and recognize their own higher power and use their relationship with that higher power to gain strength and encouragement within their daily lives. "Because Nanitch is a live-in facility, there must always be staff present, twenty-four hours per day. All of our staff must be knowledgeable in many areas: addiction, educa tion, behavioral health, and forensics. We strive not only to be good counselors and teachers, but also role models," said Dr. Ryan. Nanitch Sahallie is licenced for 20 beds, and alternates its eight-week program from all girls to all boys. Nanitch used to be co-ed, but that proved to be problematic in the clients' relationships with each other and other distractions. Dr. Ryan said that the new arrangement has worked out a lot better for everyone invok ed. Dr. Ryan also stated that the past couple of years have shown dramatic improvement in Nanitch's client comple tion rate, with 75 graduating during the last six months of 1995. That is better than the national average of 62. Grand Ronde Legal Services: Helping tribal members resolve issues By Tracy Dugan Gayle Patterson, Managing Attorney at Grand Ronde Legal Services (GRLS), has been busy this winter. She . was also busy in the summer and in the fall. Ever since the Tribal Council announced last May that it was contributing some funding to Oregon Legal Services (OLS) in order for tribal members to obtain legal advice and representation at a minimum cost, tribal members all over the state have been taking advantage of the program. Based out of her office in McMinnville, Gayle has been so busy, she has had to hire a part-time attorney to help with cases and give advice. With 279 requests for legal assistance in the last eight months, Gayle said the program has "exceeded all our expectations and projections." . The areas Grand Ronde Legal Services may be able to help you with include divorce and custody cases, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, pensions, land lordtenant disputes, consumer protection and debtor rights, education issues, veteran's benefits, and employment rights, including discrimination issues. GRLS places priority to serving Elders. "By far, the most frequent calls we receive involve di vorce or child custody issues," said Gayle. If a tribal mem- ber is seeking a divorce from his or her spouse, Gayle said it is important for the member to come in for pre-divorce counseling. It is entirely confidential, and will help better prepare the client in situations where there might be dis agreements over property or custody of the children. Additionally, GRLS has expanded its services. "We have now received approval to provide services to tribal and Casino employees on a limited basis." Gayle said that she can help with brief legal needs and advice to employees. However, Gayle says that tribal members and Elders will receive priority, regardless of personal income. "Sometimes we may be able to help someone in a short period of time, even over the telephone," Gayle said. "Of ten it's just a matter of giving legal advice to a person who is having trouble reading a contract or something similar." She says that she urges everyone preparing to enter into a contractual agreement to consult an attorney before sign ing on the dotted line. Gayle said that GRLS receives calls from people who have been injured or are having trouble with their taxes. Although the attorneys at GRLS arc not tax or personal injury attorneys, they can refer tribal members to the office of someone else who can help. There are also many tribal members who call from other states, particularly Washing ton. Again, Gayle and her staff may be able to make rec ommendations, but she cannot appear in court for mem bers out of state. It is important to remember too, that GRLS cannot provide representation for tribal members with a claim against the Grand Ronde Tribe, Spirit Mountain Ca sino, or another tribal member. Grand Ronde Legal Services' main office is in McMinn ville, but tribal members can call their toll-free number to be referred to an office closer to where they live. The num ber is 1-800-781-8500. GRLS has offices in Hillsboro, Portland, Newport, Oregon City, Albany, Coos Bay, Woodburn, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Pendleton, Bend, Kla math Falls, and Ontario.
