The Gathering TRIBAL STAR’s mission is to ENSURE that Tribal foster youth are connected to CULTURE, community and resources throughout their transition to adulthood thereby increasing POSITIVE outcomes for Tribal Foster YOUTH.   Tribal STAR is a program of the Academy for Professional Excellence at San Diego State University School of Social Work

Understanding The Past Stepping onto the Path * Understanding The Past Valuing The Present Creating The Vision

Welcome & Introductions Why are you here today? ~ Introduction of Clans Introduction to materials

of the Tribal STAR Project MODULE 1 History and Purpose of the Tribal STAR Project

  Funded by the California Department of Social Services, Tribal STAR is a result of a partnership between the SDSU School of Social Work, Academy for Professional Excellence and: Southern Indian Health Council SD HHSA Indian Specialty Unit & Independent Living Unit Indian Health Council Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel YMCA YFS South Bay Community Services San Diego Youth Services Intertribal Court of Southern California, Southern CA Tribal Chairmen’s Association San Bernardino County Child & Family Services Orange County Social Services Agency Casey Family Programs, San Diego Field Office Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Pala Band of Mission Indians, Social Services Dept. Valley Oaks Foster Family Agency County of San Diego, Office of Education, Foster Youth Services   

Training & Technical Assistance Training Opportunities: The Gathering (training for frontline workers) The Summit (training for management/supervisory staff) The Collaborative (adapted ½ day training) Let the Spirit Lead: ICWA, In the Best Interest of the Child The Other Side of ICWA Statewide Training for Trainers Series Statewide Training for MSW Students Technical Assistance includes: Independent Living / Trainer Forums Tribal STAR website Drumbeats newsletter Community based collaborative support

What do we know about the needs of Tribal Youth? Dropout rates range from 45-85% High teen pregnancy rates (45% before the age of 20) Unemployment rates of up to 80% on the reservations 35% of Tribal youth experience out of home placement (more than any other racial group)

The Landscape of California CA has the largest Native American population in the nation (333,511 / 2000 Census, US Census Bureau / www.nahc.ca.gov) CA is the State with the largest number of foster youth

basis as other children.” Chafee Guidelines “States must make benefits and services available to Indian children in the state on the same basis as other children.” “State must certify in its plan that: state will consult and coordinate with each Indian tribe in the state.” *all CA Tribal Chairs received a copy of the Proposed State Plan for Fiscal Years 2001-2004

How are Tribal Foster Youth Affected By The… CFSR (Child & Family Services Review) SIP (System Improvement Plan) ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act)

What goals do you have to improve services for Tribal youth? What outcomes does your county intend to improve in the area of Tribal Youth & their families? What goals do you have to improve services for Tribal youth?

MODULE 2 Connection and Loss

What About Connections? How could grief and loss affect the way youth and families interact with you and your staff?

Bringing Them Back – A Tribal Perspective Host a traditional ceremony Open communication Cultural awareness Non-judgemental Host a gathering Address their fears Help them find balance Patience

Historical Context of American Indians MODULE 3 Historical Context of American Indians

500 Nations

What Events Have Shaped Our Current Cross-Cultural Relations With Native Communities?

Indian History 1492-1800 European Conquest 1789-1871 Pre-Reservation Period 1871-1928 Early Reservation Era 1934-1953 Indian Reorganization 1953-1968 Termination Era 1968-1980 Self Determination 1980-now The Present

The “Indian Problem vs. Euro-American Problem” For four centuries, non-Indians in North America have had an “Indian problem”. In its most basic form, this problem has had three aspects:

Economic: how best to secure access to Indian resources, land in particular Cultural Transformation: how best to accomplish the cultural transformation of Indians into non-Indians Political: how to maintain effective controls so that the problems 1 and 2 could be more satisfactorily resolved

Euro-American problem In essence, Tribal survival: the maintenance of particular sets of social relations, more or less distinct cultural orders, and some measure of political autonomy in the face of invasion, conquest and loss of power. The working out of these two conflicting agendas has given context and shape to Indian-White relations.

An Apology Remarks of Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Department of the Interior at the Ceremony Acknowledging the 175th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs September 8, 2000

Another Apology In 2001, the Child Welfare League of America acknowledged wrongful involvement in the 1950’s/1960’s effort to facilitate the adoption of Indian children into White homes for the purpose of “saving” these children from their own culture and language.

What are some of the contributions of Native Americans to contemporary society?

Contributions of Native Americans Presentation Contributions of Native Americans

The Indian Child Welfare Act

Purpose The purpose of ICWA is to protect the best interests of the Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by establishing minimum federal standards for the removal of Indian children from their parents or Indian custodians.

Intent of ICWA Prevent the unwarranted breakup of American Indian families Recognize tribal jurisdiction to make custody decisions Establish minimum federal standards that are to be followed when children are removed

Placement Preferences For Out of Home Placement FOSTER CARE 1. Extended family 2. Foster care licensed by Tribe 3. Indian foster home licensed by State 4. Institution approved by Tribe 5. Other foster homes

Placement Preferences For Pre-Adoptive and Adoptive (Permanent) Placements 1. Extended family 2. Tribal member 3. Other Indian family

What is your role in ensuring ICWA compliance? Case Worker Follow ICWA and local protocols for notification and placement IL Staff, Probation Officer, Case Manager, Counselor, Education staff etc. If there is any reason to believe youth is a member of a tribe, report to the CW case worker and collaborate with local ICWA staff.

Resources http://www.gpo.gov http://www.nicwa.org http://www.childsworlds.ca.gov http://www.americanindiansource.com http://theacademy.sdsu.edu/TribalSTAR/ http://www.kumeyaay.com

American Indian Values & Culture MODULE 4 American Indian Values & Culture

Who are you and where are you from? Group Discussion Who are you and where are you from?

What are the differences in the value systems between American Indian and Western Mainstream Culture? How does this impact our thoughts and practice when providing services to Tribal youth and families?

(Tribally) Traditional: People who hold onto their native culture tightly, never being forced to assimilate into another culture.  (Western) Acculturated: A person who changes his or her cultural identity, values, beliefs, practices and norms just to get experiences with a different culture.   (Western) Assimilated: People who choose to give up most of their old ways, in order to adopt another dominant culture’s beliefs, values, and norms. (Horejsi et. al., 1987)

Traditional Indian Values vs. All American Values Mainstream Values Clan/communal emphasis Individual Emphasis Sharing Winning Present-time orientation Future Orientation Spiritualistic Materialistic Time non-awareness Time awareness Harmony with nature Conquest of nature Passive Aggressive Giving/spending Acquiring/saving Appreciates/honors silence Avoids silence Respect of other religions Converting/proselytizing (Source: The Indian Child Welfare Act, Handbook by Rose-Margaret Orrantia; Cultural Awareness; the Indian Perspective, Marilyn Robinson).

Clan Discussion What can you do to be more culturally sensitive when providing services to Tribal youth?

Walking in Their Moccasins MODULE 5 Walking in Their Moccasins

Presentation Listening to Those Who Have Been Affected by Foster Care What do youth and families feel when they are in the system? What do youth experience? What would help us provide more effective services in the future?

Events to Consider as Important for Tribal Foster Youth Naming ceremonies Sweat lodge and other purification ceremonies Sundance and other renewal ceremonies End of life services, wakes, burials End of cycle after death ceremonies

Resilience A New Word; An Old Meaning Spirituality Family Strength Elders Ceremonial Rituals Oral Traditions Tribal Identity Support Networks

Stepping Into The Circle MODULE 6 Stepping Into The Circle

The Talking Circle Process Every individual participates and some can choose not to speak When someone else is speaking it is our turn to listen This is our time to speak our thoughts, our truth The process is not complete until everyone has participated (Por, G., 2005)

Welcome! The Gathering ~Day 2

Honoring the Seasons of Change MODULE 7 Honoring the Seasons of Change

What do we know about adolescent development? What do we know about American Indian adolescent development? What is the purpose of American Indian puberty rites? How might unresolved grief and loss play a role in one’s development?

Typical Independent Living Development Cameron Hill Associates, 1997

Independent Living Development for Young Adults in Care Cameron Hill Associates, 1997

Western Contemporary vs. American Indian Society Traditional Systems CHILD  Name given baptism Learns to use the toilet  Goes on first date  Learns to drive a car and obtains drivers license  Gets first job CHILD Initiation into clan, moiety, or subgroup by ceremony  Learns to assist with family chores Puberty rites: learns gender-specific roles, family, community, and tribal expectations  First hunt or first menses  Naming ceremony – establishing identity in relation to family, clan, moiety, and tribal context

Western Contemporary vs. American Indian Society Traditional Systems ADULT Turns 18 and Leaves for college ADULT Participates in Tribal community decision making Participates as adults in ceremonies

Western Contemporary vs. American Indian Society Traditional Systems SENIOR CITIZEN Turns 65 ELDER Turns 55 Is venerated by community and acknowledged as an elder

Comparison of Developmental Stages of Youth Clan Activity What issues affect stages of development for Native youth in foster care? Compare the developmental stages and fill in your answers in your Workbook (Module 7). Normal ~ Youth in ~ American Adolescent Foster Care Indian Youth in Foster Care

Recommendations for Workers Build on young peoples’ connection to all living entities Encourage and openly discuss their spiritual development Make use of the outdoors. Recognize the vital role played by elders, aunts, uncles, and other extended family, blood-clan-moiety involvement and encourage their participation in these groups’ activities.

Encourage generosity of spirit. Incorporate more cooperative learning activities. Respect their individualism. Allow for a longer response time. Be more flexible with timelines. Respect that learning can also occur through listening and in silence. (Source: Munsell, G. 2004 Tribal Approaches to Transition: The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, NRCYS)

Identifying Services for Tribal Youth MODULE 8 Identifying Services for Tribal Youth

Activity Drawing Our Youth What are the needs of adolescent youth? BLUE What are the needs of adolescent Tribal youth? RED What organizations/individuals/resources can address these needs? GREEN

Positive Outcomes from a Tribal Perspective Youth are contributing members of the community Youth have a sense of belonging to the community Youth are actively connected to Tribal and non-Tribal resources to achieve inter-dependency Youth recognize the importance of community involvement Youth are continuously exposed to culture, customs, and traditions Achieve cultural permanency through modification of parental rights (flexibility) Non-Tribal guardians of Tribal youth have access to Tribal cultural & community resources and allow youth to experience and explore their cultural identity

Ways Which Tribal Youth In Foster Care May Behave More traditional youth may not question the position they find themselves. Youth may be too intimidated by service providers or the bureaucracy they represent to request services. Those who apply for and are denied services may not complain or assert themselves. Youth may present to service providers, expecting those providers, like traditional healers, to know their needs, while they sit passively.

What can you do differently as a result of learning this information? What surprised you about the needs of adolescent American Indian youth? What can you do differently as a result of learning this information?

Strengths & Barriers to Collaboration MODULE 9 Strengths & Barriers to Collaboration

What are examples of successful local collaboration? What makes them successful? What’s the difference between collaboration, coordination, and cooperation?

Collaboration Coordination Cooperation Commitment to common mission Understanding of compatible mission Individual interpretations of mission Mutual goals and plans Some planning and division of roles Informal structure Well-defined communication channels operating on many different levels Communication channels established Information shared as needed Resources contributed and pooled or jointly secured Resources available Limited or no resources (Jones, et al., 1999).

Clan Discussion Review: “Positive Outcomes for Tribal Youth” Discuss: How could collaborations support successful outcomes for your agencies, your county, your youth?

Applying Strengths & Addressing Barriers MODULE 10 Applying Strengths & Addressing Barriers

Cross-Cultural Collaboration A recognition and appreciation of each participant’s world view, role and function and the values and mission of the organization they represent.

The Importance of Introductions

Culturally Responsive Communities, Tribes and Native Organizations Increase Cross-Cultural Understanding Through the Following: Establish a welcoming environment Assist local organization/tribes/communities that enhance cross-cultural understanding Sponsor regular meetings with the community/leaders Assist organizational personnel with the involvement of Elders Provide an annual open house /workshop Develop mechanisms to coordinate services of all local programs Provide encouragement and support for community members who show an interest & involve them as resources

Who to Contact First? ICWA representative or Tribal contact A personal visit, or phone call is better than a letter or an email. -Is anyone in the community working with Tribal foster youth? -Who do people go to for advice when working with Tribal foster youth? -Who should I contact at Tribal council / what is the best way to approach them?

Tips for Following Protocol Demonstrate respect for Elders & leaders Schedule meetings and events around meals Publicly acknowledge Tribal participation in meetings & make introductions Model a spirit of cross-cultural collaboration by including and recognizing all efforts

Values and Protocol That Enhance Collaboration Personal connection will go farther than a written letter Accepting food and drink and scheduling meetings during mealtimes cultivates trust Be natural – but not intrusive, remember that communication within communities is also non-verbal

Tribal STAR Best Practice Model Circle of Care Independent Living Skills Case Manager Foster/Kinship Parent, Group Home Staff Social Worker Juvenile Judge / Attorney Community Based Organization Tribal Foster Youth Biological Family Probation Officer CASA ICWA Worker Education System -Teacher -Guidance Counselor -School Social Worker Cultural Connections Religious, ethnic and community leaders/members Community College Independent Living Skills Director

Clan Discussion As a Clan, identify: 3 specific objectives that will improve outcomes for Tribal foster youth Concrete action steps for each objective Community partners for each objective

Developing Action Plans Complete your Personal Action Plan Provide Tribal STAR with the yellow copy Keep the white copy for yourself

Stepping Into The Circle MODULE 11 Stepping Into The Circle Talking Circle (Por, G., 2005)

Academy for Professional Excellence SDSU School of Social Work Thank you… for working to ensure that outcomes for Native American foster youth improve! Tribal STAR Academy for Professional Excellence SDSU School of Social Work http://theacademy.sdsu.edu/TribalSTAR/ 619-594-3546 Copyright © May 2010. All Rights Reserved.