Smoke Signals Satellite Office Opens Today In Portland Many services continue to be available to city dwellers. 12 SEPTEMBER 1, 2004 By Ron Karten Eighty six percent of Tribal members living in Portland who answered a 2002 Tribal survey about the Portland sat ellite office said that they would use it as a first step in seeking Tribal ser vices. In that survey, however, only 28 percent said that they knew where the Portland satellite office was, and only 23 percent had been there. With hopes for higher use in the fu ture, the Tribe today opens a new Port land satellite office providing a num ber of important services: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) ser vices that have been available at the Tribe's prior VR office in southeast Portland are being relocated to the Tribe's new office in southwest Port land. VR will continue to be available Monday through Thursday. For the Social Services Department, Employment & Training services are available four-days-a-week, and those needing help navigating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance pro gram will find it at the satellite office. The Education Department is pro viding education services including college counseling and career advising, as requested. GED tutoring classes in math and writing are provided ev ery other Thursday, but students can take practice tests at the office any time. Tutoring could be available weekly if demand is there. Some behavioral health counseling and group sessions also are being planned by the Health & Wellness De partment one day a week. Cultural classes will also be sched uled occasionally throughout the year. A $95,913 Administration for Na tive Americans grant has been awarded to the Tribe for satellite of fices in both Portland and Eugene. That funding pays for building costs and a Tribal Services Representative in Portland to provide information and assistance with application forms. It will also enable Tribal members to schedule outreach services from Grand Ronde-based staff. For many services, a trip to Grand Ronde will still be necessary. Outreach and on-site services in Portland will be limited to services that can be jus tified on a cost-per-client basis. The new offices include a classroom, small conference room and a computer lab. Spirit Mountain Casino also has a small office there for sales staff to use between meetings with clients in Port land. Located at 3312 S.W. Kelly, it is a block from two bus routes and a few blocks from several highways includ ing State Highway 26 (the Ross Island Bridge), State Highway 99-W (Barbur Blvd.) and Interstate 5. The telephone number for the office is 503-235-4230, the same main number as the prior v L II Ready To Help You Tribal Portland office personnel are moved in and ready to help the many Grand Ronde Tribal members living in the Portland Metro area. From left are: Chris Garcia, Employment and Training Specialist, Lisa Adams , Tribal Service Representative Jon George, Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist and Joanne Carr, Tribal Adult Education Coordinator. VR Office. Although many requested the new office be located between Barbur Blvd and 1-205, Tribal staff looked for more than four months in that area. The best available space that we could come to terms with was the S.W. Kelly prop erty," said Kim Rogers, Policy and Planning Manager. The Tribe continues to pursue plans for the Eugene satellite office. As Smoke Signals went to press, a part time position staffing that office re mained unfilled. p&k .-f4, WG lM' O if'' '1 OP) a 1 1 I -"7