Category: Newsletter

Fentanyl & Illicit Drug Awareness Events

By Kim Bekkedahl, Assistant Superintendent, Kuna School District

Over two days, our secondary students, our community and a large group of treasure valley athletes heard a powerful message from former Drug Enforcement Agency officer Rocky Herron about helping our students choose their future. Rocky is a retired DEA agent with 31 years of experience and now takes that experience literally around the world as a drug prevention advocate and speaker. As a law enforcement officer, he has watched this crisis spiral to dangerous levels for a period of time now.

Rocky shared information about the challenges — social media pressure, high potency drugs, and easy access to drugs, that our youth face that are impacting their mental health and well-being.  Rocky had an emphasis on the Fentanyl Crisis because it is the biggest challenge facing the treasure valley right now, and unfortunately our kids will encounter this drug in several forms as they navigate through life.

Rocky was able to present at 4 all school assemblies to 7th – 12th in the Kuna Schools, and to our second (Connecting Together) parent and community event. Rocky and his daughter Roxie, A Nampa Police Officer presented to a full auditorium of treasure valley athletes at the NNU Brandt Center. This was a powerful event also as we know that our athletes face a unique challenge at times with pressure put on them from numerous sources and can be at risk for substance abuse just the same as everyone else.

With the support of our Superintendent’s Advisory Council and our amazing community partners, who understand the urgency, Sgt. Brian Keen and I were able get resources and a venue to help bring Rocky and his message to our kids and community (We were able to use statistics shared by Gov. Brad Little in his January 2023 State of the State speech helped us get a grant to cover some of the costs.)

What is next?

Our work has just begun. The council and subcommittee will continue to keep working on ways to get a prevention message out to our kids and community.

Thank you to the Idaho Office of Drug Policy for your commitment to the work we are doing.

During the month of November, the Idaho Office of Drug Policy, the Idaho State Liquor Division, the Canyon County Drug Free Coalition, and Southwest District Health partnered up to hold Stickering events with the Nampa Teen Council, and the Caldwell Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council. Local law enforcement attended the events to present on underage drinking, and to answer questions from youth and other attendees. Mayor Debbie Kling, Mayor Garret Nancolas, representation from Community Coalitions of Idaho, and various community members were present to connect with youth and help sticker. Over 5,000 bags were stickered between the two events, which will be distributed to the liquor stores in Caldwell and Nampa. Youth asked thoughtful, provoking questions, and helped raise awareness about the risks associated with adults providing alcohol to minors, and the risks of underage drinking. The bags will be distributed in local liquor stores starting November 26^th, and will be available until they run out.

In addition to stickered bags being available in liquor stores, three local coffee shops are helping spread awareness about this important campaign. The Human Bean locations in Caldwell and Nampa, the Flying M of Nampa, and Espresso-ly Yours will be using Be the Parents coffee sleeves and stickers starting November 26^th until supplies run out. Together, youth and these community members are raising awareness, and supporting a safe holiday season for all in Canyon County!  

Contact:

Tara Woodward, MPH | Program Planning and Development Specialist | Southwest District Health

Tara.Woodward@phd3.idaho.gov Caldwell,  ID 83607 

 

On August 3 & 4^th at the Clearwater River Casino Event Center, the Students for Success Program held an event called “Gathering of Native Americans” or GONA for short, the first-ever held on the Nez Perce reservation.  A GONA is a culture-based planning process where community members gather to address community-identified issues.  The Students for Success youth GONA was for youth ages 12 to young adults, however, all community members were welcome to attend.   The GONA uses an interactive approach that empowers and supports American Indian/Alaskan Native tribes. The GONA approach reflects AI/AN cultural values, traditions, and spiritual practices.  The GONA typically focuses on the following four themes, “belonging”—the GONA ensures that everyone feels welcomed in an inclusive, open, safe, and trusting environment, “mastery”—the GONA allows participants to take stock of how historical trauma impacts their communities and what fosters their resilience and holds them together, “interdependence”—the GONA initiates the planning process to assess resources and relationships, and to experience and strengthen interconnectedness and “generosity”—the GONA exercise of creating gifts to share with other participants symbolizes each participant’s larger gift to their families and communities in helping to address and prevent mental and substance use disorders, prevent suicide, and promote mental health.  Some of the activities the youth completed are below:

Medicine Wheel Activity

Students were provided an overview of the 4 main dimensions of the medicine wheel.  This included why it is so important that they take care of themselves as these 4 dimensions describe.  Students were then asked to break into groups and conduct an inventory or identify what they do that contributes to their wellness within each of the 4 dimensions of the medicine Wheel (i.e., what do they currently do that improves their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness). After they were finished each group reported out and was validated by their peers.

Trauma Tree Exercise

In another activity, the youth answered these questions:

Roots=what happened historically that affects us as a community today?

Trunk=what did we lose or what was lost or taken away from us after these events occurred?

Branches=what do we see today in the community because of the events that occurred in the past?

The Healing Tree 

This activity was part of the interdependence section of the GONA.  The youth were asked to answer these questions and report their answers to their peers.

Roots = what are the strong Community, culture, spiritual, family, or individual values that we live by? I.e. honor, love, ceremonies, education, respect, etc.

Trunk=what do these values provide for us?

Branches=what do we hope to see truth in the community based on the positive values or what outcomes do we want to see in the community?

The GONA facilitators did an awesome job!  Their names are Gerry Crowshoe and Rebecca Lyn.  Both have facilitated many GONA’s and you could tell as the youth were really engaged the entire time.  In fact, most of the youth asked for more GONA’s, one even asked for us to do it once a month!

The NAHOVA (substance abuse and suicide prevention) youth board really went above and beyond for this great event.  Many of them have been an integral part of the planning of this event since last winter and each of them contributed a lot to the success of this event.  Preston Amerman and Graciela Broncheau did the welcome address, Joseph Payne, Sayaqic Broncheau and Ayanna Oatman led the icebreaker sessions and Markus Ellenwood and Remy Reeder were a big help with a little bit of everything!  All of the NAHOVA members, even the ones who were unable to attend, put a lot of hard work and hours, and commitment!

Contact: Abraham F. Broncheau, Nez Perce Tribe Students for Success Director, abeb@nezperce.org; (208) 621-4613

Lapwai, Idaho