10 JUNE 1, 2002
Smoke Signals
2SS
Education Deadlines
Adult Vocational Training and Higher Education program deadline dates are as
follows:
July 1, 2002 Fall TermSemester
November 1, 2002 Winter TermSpring Term
February 1, 2003 Spring Term
April 1,2003 Summer term
Deadlines do not apply to open-enrollment Institutes for Adult Vocational Training
applicants.
Please contact the Education division to request an application at 503-879-2275 or
write 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347. Education Information
and applications can be accessed through the Tribe's web-site at grandronde.org.
Tribal Youth Education Sponsorship Program
Youth Education Sponsorship (YE Sponsorship) program, formerly Sum
mer Sponsorship, began in January 2002.
YE Sponsorship is a program which provides maximum funding of $200
to enrolled Tribal members grades K-12, including home schooling one
time per year to participate in school activities and extracurricular activi
ties and programs.
You must request an application by contacting Chris Bailey at 1-800-422-0232
or 503-879-2101. Applications must be returned completed in
order to be processed. Please allow two weeks for processing.
Funding is available until depleted. Please note that requesting an
application does not ensure funding and does not register the student for
the activity program.
Grand Ronde HeadStart Is Now Recruiting
Children For The 2002-2003 School Year
Recruitment runs from April through July. This announcement is for
children who are 3 years old by September 1, 2002 to children who are 5
years old (pre-kindergarten) and that are income eligible. Unfortunately, if
there is not enough space available we will not be servicing non-Tribal
Willamina or Sheridan HeadStart children. Our first day of school is Sep
tember 3, 2002. Please call Tersa Stewart at 503-879-2161 for an applica
tion and if you have any questions. Selection and notification will be made
by mid August and you will be notified if your child has been accepted.
Starting a Successful Small Business Class
Starting Monday, June 10, the Small Business department will hold classes
for 10 weeks at the John L. Scott Real Estate in Keizer. Class time is
5:30 p.m. to 8:30. For more information or to sign up call Barbara Lake
at 503-879-2476.
Culture Committee Hosting Speaker On June 7
The Culture Committee is hosting Su Ann Redich on June 7 from 5 p.m.
to 7 p.m. at the Governance building in room 204. The cultural gathering
will contain stories of the area of Forest Grove & Chemawa. For more
information, contact June Olson at 503-879-2249, Joe Brisbois at 503-879-2002
or Jessie Brann at 503-879-2172.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand
Policies, Procedures & Guidelines
Effective Date: June 1, 2002
General Policy Statement:
The Client Self-Empowerment Program follows those Tribal ideals out
lined in the Tribe's Strategic Planning Process during 1993-94. The Pro
gram is designed to promote five General Tribal Strategies:
(1) Self-Sufficiency;
(2) Community;
(3) Efficient Use of Resources;
(4) Fairness;
(5) Involvement
To promote these goals, the Client Self-Empowerment program will
maintain a process whereby clients, using Tribal services, give something
back for the benefits they receive and are actively involved in the creation
of a service plan designed to establish unmet need, client obligation, and
the extent of Tribal financial assistance. If eligible, clients participating
in this program may receive financial assistance through Emergency As
sistance or the Benevolence Fund.
If the client has not complied with the service plan and is in need of
assistance in the future, Social Services will deny any assistance until all
conditions of the service plan have been met.
For all financial assistance services through the Social Services depart
ment: If the client's needs are so great that the maximum assistance available
will only postpone eviction or termination of service, assistance will be
denied in order to preserve funds for situations where assistance will meet
immediate needs.
In the event a client is dissatisfied with a specific eligibility determina
tion or payment distribution, the client may request a review of the case
by the Social Services department manager. The Social Services man
ager will have final determination in regard to the distribution of all Emer
gency Assistance and Benevolence Funds.
Emergency Assistance and Benevolence Fund
These funds are to be considered alternative resources to be utilized
only after all other forms of assistance have been exhausted, including
any dollars the client may have available in a Tribal Benefit Fund. The
client's unmet need must be verified and any payment distributed will not
be paid directly to the client.
Income requirements for Emergency Assistance and the Benevolence
Fund, with the exception of Special Disaster Assistance, shall start at
Oregon's minimum wage for a household of one. Incremental increases
for each additional family member living in the household shall match
the rate of $1.48.
FOR ALL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE SOCIAL SERVICES DE
PARTMENT, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED:
Ronde Social Services Department
B Social Services Intake.
B Copy of Tribal Identification or Certificate of Indian Blood along with
copy of picture identification (Drivers License, Permit, Identification card,
etc).
B Wage verification for past 30 days (wage stubs). If client hasn't worked
for a period of time they will need to submit a printout from their State
Employment Office as verification of income.
B Proof of household size (Copy of filed taxes for preceding year or
Rental Agreement listing all family members).
The Emergency Assistance Program & Benevolence Fund may be used
to assist the client with unmet needs in the following areas:
B Shelter assistance when a Tribal member is homeless or where evic
tion is demonstrated with landlord notification.
For eviction: Tribal member name must be on rental contract and evic
tion or non-payment of rent notice.
Requires submission of (copy) valid 72 hour eviction notice or non
payment of rent notice along with a copy of rental agreement.
Any money returned from a deposit made on behalf of a Tribal member
will be returned to the Social Services department.
B Utility assistance where an emergency can be demonstrated with a
shut-off notice.
Utilities are defined as: electricity, water, and natural gas.
Requires submission of valid shut-off notice. Please Note: Due to the
amount of fees involved (reconnect, deposits, etc.) the Social Services
department cannot assist after service has been disconnected. In con
junction with the service providers (PGE, Pacific Power, Northwest
Natural Gas, etc.) account, shut-off notices must include the Tribal
members name on the notice itself.
Special Disaster Assistance
Special Disaster Assistance is defined as an unexpected event, beyond
the control of the Tribal member, which has caused great damage and
financial loss to the Tribal household.
In all cases it is the Tribal member's responsibility to provide evidence
that the incident caused great damage and financial loss to the Tribal
Member's household.
B (Benevolence Fund only) Medical related cost not covered under non
Tribal and Tribal medical programs. The absence of which could, in the
opinion of medical professionals, put the client's health at risk.
Requires signed letter from the doctor.
B Gas Vouchers
Tribal member must be an active client of the Social Services depart
ment. Requirement: distributed gas vouchers are for activities related to the
programs within the Social Services department only.