Railbelt Mental Health & Addictions

Nenana Wellness Coalition

MINUTES

August 14, 2007

 The Nenana Wellness Coalition is an alliance of representatives from various organizations, government agencies, community groups and individuals that meets weekly to discuss, evaluate, coordinate, consolidate and help implement plans for improving the wellness and quality of life in Nenana Alaska. 

There were 12 in attendance today including: Donald Charlie, Laura Vance, Keith Seig, Bonnie Reed, Maryellen & Lena Kanayurak, Tim Horn, Robert & Susan Thomason, Diana Grum, Kat McElroy, and Miles Martin

 

WELCOME & READING OF MISSION STATEMENT: by this week’s chairperson, Ms. Laura Vance.

 

PRAYER was lead by Bonnie Reed, followed by the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE. 

 

The agenda was presented; there was no call for amendments.

 

Kat provided hard copy of the minutes, per discussion last week. Minutes were submitted electronically.  There was one correction noted  by Tim Horn.

 

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS

           

SPEAKERS/TOPICS

 

            Neighborhood Watch – Rita Pierce submitted a draft of the latest Neighborhood Watch newsletter via e-mail to Kat who made hard copy which she distributed to WIN participants. Discussion ensued. Miles had provided an article that puts a positive spin on NW, about keeping an eye on his newest neighbor’s property in their absence. Laura reiterated her disinclination to have the names of juvenile offenders published in the newsletter police log. Some history on this issue was provided to Keith. It was suggested we do a simple survey to poll community thoughts and feelings on this issue at the Dancing In The Streets celebration in September.

The newsletter was approved with no suggestions for changes. Kat will notify Rita so she can provided a master copy for distribution.

            Identifying High-Risk Drinkers – Kat McElroy passed out three examples of short screenings (see attached) currently in use to identify high-risk drinkers. She explained why these screenings are used and by whom. She explained why it is so important to use non-threatening and non-judgemental language when screening. Discussion ensued regarding high-risk alcohol use and why it would be important to recognize and intervene. She was asked if she would be willing to provide a short training on the use of these screenings to WIN and to NSLC staff, which she agreed to do.  

WELLNESS THOUGHT:

Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them.
–Brendan Francis

There was a huge slide at the park and Jason was afraid to go on it. There were so many steps to climb to reach the top. All of his friends were climbing up the steps and yelling as they came down the long rolling slide.

“Come on,” said his friend Steve. “It’s lots of fun!”

“Isn’t it scary?” asked Jason.

“A little bit,” answered Steve, “but you get used to it.” He ran off to go again.

Jason walked to the steps of the slide, his heart pounding in his chest. Slowly he placed his foot on the first step and lifted himself up. Courageously he climbed the ladder. When he reached the high platform he felt as if he were standing on top of the world.

We can learn from Jason that by taking that first step we can experience many exciting and wonderful things. We have all done it before, on the slide, on a bicycle, in school. Why not again?

What fear can I walk through today?

From Today’s Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

 

UPDATES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Miles reminded everyone that legislative aides from Senators Stevens and Murkowski’s offices would be available this afternoon to take public comment around 2:30. They will be meeting with the mayor at the city office. Rob will be meeting with them at 3 to discuss issues involving the school and the living center at NSLC.  Various members of WIN will be speaking with them also. This is seen as a good opportunity to demonstrate wide-based community support for NSLC as well as to address myriad other issues.

 

Rob noted that Friday, 8-17 at 4 PM there will be a graduation ceremony for the students completing their two week EMT-I training. If they pass their tests Saturday, they will leave with EMT-I state certification. He announced that Tuesday 1 PM there will be a tour of the newly completed industrial arts building. He said also he has posted notices around town requesting proposals for 1% art project as mandated for all capital improvement grant funded buildings. This will amount to 3 thousand dollars and is a good opportunity for a local artist to earn money and showcase their work. Tim stated that she has some posters from the Art Train exhibit that she would be willing to donate for use in the building. Lastly he announced that September 13^th there will be a back-to-school Open House at the cafeteria from 6-7:30 PM.

 

Don announced there will be a community get-together and the Back-To-School picnic at the baseball field 2 PM on Sunday August 19^th. This is a joint venture by Nenana Native Council and the city and school.

 

Keith announced there are currently 62 students enrolled at the living center. He continues recruiting; outreach will be on-going. There has been a public perception that the living center is closing which has negatively impacted recruiting and enrollment this year. He said the latest student enrolled comes from Barrow. He praised the current and new staff, saying they were “amazing.”  They are planning a series of in-service trainings. He said that they will be implementing student ABC’s, Academic Behavioral Contracts, and that appropriate referrals will be made for any student needing additional support to succeed. 88 is their target goal for enrollees.

  

ADJOURNMENT at 2 PM.

  

See high-risk drinkers screenings below

                  Identify risk-drinkers: Exploratory questions Preliminary questions to ask1.       Is there a family history of alcohol problems? (Indicates that drinking is an important concern to patient and physician.)2.       Have you ever had a drink of alcohol? o                If Yes:o                How old were you when you had your first drink?o                What drink did you prefer as a teenager (beer, wine, liquor)?o                How old were you when you first got drunk?o                How many drinks did it take to make you feel high when you were a teenager?o                What’s your current alcohol preference (beer, wine, liquor)?o                How many cans (glasses) of been (wine, liquor) does it take to make you feel high right now?  If a person indicates that it takes more that 2 drinks to make them feel high, this suggests their drinking behavior needs further exploration. Mini-questionnaires to use CAGE questionsC Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?A Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?G Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about drinking?E Have you ever taken a drink first thing in the morning (Eye opener) to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?The CAGE test takes no more than 1 minute to administer and identifies about 50% to 60% of risk-drinkers. T-ACE questionsT How many drinks does it Take to make you feel high (tolerance)?A Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?C Have you ever felt you ought to Cut down on your drinking?E Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?Scoring: 2 points if answer to T question is “more than 2 drinks,” 1 point for answering Yes to the A, C, or E questions.T-ACE score of 2 or more is considered positive for risk-drinking. If all 4 questions are answered in the positive, the likelihood of risk-drinking is 62.7%, if no answers are positive, the likelihood is 1.5%.2 The test identifies about 7 of 10 risk-drinkers.   Revised from State of Alaska Department of Health & Human Services Behavioral Health web site  

Nenana Wellness Coalition
MINUTES
August 7th, 2007

The Nenana Wellness Coalition is an alliance of representatives from various organizations, government agencies, community groups and individuals that meets weekly to discuss, evaluate, coordinate, consolidate and help implement plans for improving the wellness and quality of life in Nenana Alaska
.
Our meeting place has changed back to the
Nenana Student Living Center

There were 15 people a meeting today including: David Poppe, Bonnie Reed, Sandi Eggleston, Susan Thomason, James, Cassandra and Andrew Sabon, Laura Vance, Kat and Leon McElroy, Maryellen Kanayurak, Don Charlie, Walter Tommy, Tim Horn and Keith Seig. We had bean & ham soup, corn bread, smoked salmon provided by Railbelt, fresh veggies from Bonnie Reed and cranberry jelly from Walter Tommy for lunch.

Welcome by this week’s chair person, Tim Reed, who read the mission statement. Prayer led by Walter Tommy, followed by the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE.

PRESENTATION OF AGENDA; There was no CALL FOR MODIFICATIONS

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: minutes submitted electronically last week by Kat for the July 24th meeting. Miles has not submitted minutes from the July 31st meeting yet. Bonnie Reed suggested that we bring hard copy of the minutes to meeting each week. Consensus seems that this is a good idea.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Walter Tommy is a long-time resident of Nenana but this is the first time he has come to our WIN meeting.

SPEAKERS/TOPICS
Sandi Eggleston said there will be a two day student orientation August 20/21st at NCPS for high school and junior high students, similar to what was done last year. She invited Railbelt staff and Don Charlie from NNC to present on any topic of their choosing. Tim asked if public health nurse, Felicia Musick, would be invited. Kat told Sandi she would get her Felicia’s cell phone number so she can invite her. It was suggested that the new Trooper Jones be invited also. Tim suggested that we highlight depression in our presentation. Walter Tommy described some games they played as Ice Breakers at his art school in New Mexico last semester. He said this helps people get to know one another a little bit. He mentioned participating in The Ropes Course which builds teamwork, self-confidence and cooperation. David Poppe suggested it w0ould be a good idea to invite one of the school bus drivers to talk to the students about school bus rules and behavioral expectations as many of the new students coming to the NSLC may not have had this experience of riding on a school bus. Tim said it might be a good idea to cover what to do if bullying occurs.

Donald Charlie said that he has applied for the position of Facilities Manager at Old Minto Family Recovery Camp. The current manager has just transferred up to Barrow. He said that there has been some turn-over of staff, several resignations, and he has been working a lot of hours out there. Don said that the Sobriety Pot Latch on July 27th went really well at Old Minto. He will continue working out of the Nenana Native Council office for the time being.

Walter Tommy wanted to know what’s going on with the Ralph Perdue program in Fairbanks. He went there and it was closed up. Kat said to her knowledge the detox unit is still open but she is unsure about the residential programs. Walter said that the long-term program had really helped him to get his life turned around. He said that one of his goals in recovery is to be a good role model in the community, for his nieces and nephews. Another of his goals has been to further his education which he has been able to do by enrolling in the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, New Mexico. His first semester there was exciting. He is preparing to go for a second semester in the spring of ’08. He mentioned that he recently returned from a trip to Washington DC where he volunteered to take part in being interviewed for a DVD made by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) which will be available to treatment centers and people in the recovery community across the nation. The DVD highlighted personal stories of people in early recovery, the first few years after making that decision not to drink or use any more, the barriers experienced and the successes encountered. Sandi asked if Walter would be willing to speak to the students at the NSLC and he agreed, although he noted he would be leaving in October to get married!

Bonnie asked about the Dancing in the Streets celebration. She wonders about the cold, possible inclement weather, and will this be a problem for the band. The band will play under the pavilion and Railbelt will supply heat lamps. Kat reported that she and Traci meet with members of the Nenana Lion’s club who have taken on organizing the bon fire. They will have hot dogs and marshmallows to roast. They hope to borrow enough picnic tables for people to sit at around the pavilion. TCCC and NCC will be asked to help set-up and clean up.

Susan Thomason said that there are about 58 students currently enrolled in the Student Living Center for this semester. She said that the EMT-I training is going well for the 20 students currently in residence there. They look forward to a busy and productive year.

Keith Seig said that he is very busy. He has been going through incomplete and previously rejected applications to determine if any of them may be appropriate for placement here at this time. He said he has been working with parents, teachers and the applicants themselves. They need at least 60 enrollees. His vision is to create a community of active learners. He said that by developing study strategies, average students can become excellent students and that once students get a taste of this they want more. “Success breeds success,” he said. One goal of his is to increase the number of merit-based scholarships. He said he is a believer in lifelong learning; he mentioned that he himself is currently enrolled in a PhD. Program. Kat asked if NSLC would be amenable to having beading activities in the evenings for NSLC students. Keith said that he would be very excited to have this happen, that he would do anything to help. He wants to promote more community involvement in the center and more student involvement in the community.

OLD BUSINESS—None noted

NEW BUSINESS—None reported.

UPDATES/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bonnie said that the Senior Center would have a board meeting this night. She said that Wednesday they would be going to the Fair which has free admission for Seniors that day as well as the Old-timer’s Lunch.
Tim announced that there would be Baha’i devotions at the Reed house Wednesday at 7 P.M. preceded a taco feed at 6 P.M.

ADJOURNMENT at 2:00 P.M.