New California Program Targets Young American Indian Males Story-Date: 08:20 a.m. PST Sunday , November 9, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ New California Program Targets Young American Indian Males By Kimberly Irwin, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News BISHO, Calif.--Nov. 10--The Opportunity Home has created positive outcomes for young American Indian men through spiritual and cultural activities. The Toiyabe Indian Health Project Inc. Youth Transitional Living Center is the first licensed group home in the state that offers residential treatment and aftercare services for male American Indian youth ages 12-17. The Youth Transitional Living Center is a component of the Toiyabe Indian Health Project which has been in operation for 25 years The program provides 24-hour supervision with scheduled daily activities such as talking circles, individual and group counseling, twelve step programs and cultural activities. Promoting physical fitness through daily exercise, recreational activities and self-esteem builders create a feeling of belonging and an identity. YTLC program's goals include providing a quality, 24-hour therapeutic living environment supporting recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Providing culturally specific interventions and techniques are designed to prepare young American Indians for effective problem solving and living alcohol and drug free. The program benefits from the "systems" model of therapy. It is ideally suited to benefit the American Indian concept "the circle is the way of life." The belief that life evolves in a continuous circular motion and looking at each individual's support system as a whole system (circle of life) helps build healthy networks that extend to all people. Using the system model of therapy, it builds support with the resident's family, friends and other relatives. All are incorporated and part of the treatment plan. Developing spirituality, cultural heritage, education, physical, mental and emotional states, the systems model of therapy is instrumental in the challenge the young men face and provides a foundation for them to build on. Focusing on their recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, the model will help them enhance their abilities to make healthy decisions in their lives. The circle of their lives will be far reaching into future generations. Specialized activities include substance abuse counseling education, cultural/spiritual activities, art therapy, G.E.D. and high school education. Criteria for admission involves the youth's willingness to work on treatment issues and changing past behaviors. Director/Clinical Supervisor Denise A. Summers, MFCC has over 11 years experience in the field of mental health and drug and alcohol. Social worker Robert Kittle, is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years in the field of mental health and drug and alcohol. The program serves rural areas throughout California and the Toiyabe service area. ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------