PRIMARY SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION: EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES
If having too much spare time, too little socialization and too few opportunities for work and positive use of leisure time are risk factors for substance abuse, for people with disabilities, as well as anyone else, then providing those opportunities is a step in prevention families can take for individuals with disabilities. It is also a step you can take for yourself.
Tribal colleges often offer classes in quilt-making, native languages, beadwork and other cultural activities. Of course the colleges also are an important educational resource for people who wish to return to school to obtain a GED or college degree.
Click on any of the college names below to go to the website for a tribal college in North Dakota.
Cankdeska Cikana Community College, on the Spirit Lake Reservation.
Fort Berthold Community College on the Fort Berthold Reservation
Sitting Bull College on the Standing Rock Reservation
Turtle Mountain Community College on the Turtle Mountain Reservation
United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota
On both the Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake reservations our training workshops, offered for continuing education credit, have been attended by individuals with severe learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, mental illness, severe speech impairments and other health impairments.
Now, it is not surprising to hear of a student who uses a wheelchair or has epilepsy or chronic diabetes in an college class, but people with mental retardation? SLC Consultant Willie Davis felt very strongly that our workshops should be open to every member of the community.
The research we have completed shows increases in knowledge for individuals with significant learing impairments. Although they did not know as much about the topics at the beginning of the workshops and they did not learn as much during the workshops as some others, they did show a benefit in the information gained.
All the workshop participants had the opportunity to network with others in their community about common issues, to socialize and just enjoy themselves.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Vocational rehabilitation will assist individuals who are interested in beadwork, quiltmaking or other traditional Native American arts and crafts. They can help buy supplies and help with business plans.
The combination of a disability or health condition, substance abuse and the few jobs available on the reservation may make it harder to find a job. Vocational rehabilitation programs help people with disabilities find work The policy of the vocational rehabilitation programs on the Spirit Lake Reservation, Lake Region Human Services and the Fort Berthold Reservation is that the individual must have completed substance abuse treatment before being eligible for vocational rehabilitation services.
For the Spirit Lake Vocational Rehabilitation website, click here.Their phone number is (701) 766-4446.
Click here for the Turtle Mountain Vocational Rehabilitation Project website, serving enrolled members of federally-recognized tribes living on or near the Turtle Mountain Reservation.
