Ore. mental health agency uses Native American way

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) – It's easy to swoop past the fenced facility on tree-lined Clackamas River Road as the pavement bends and curves along the winding river.

Advocates hope it will be harder to miss the import of what Cedar Bough does for Native American youths in Oregon, and beyond.

Cedar Bough, a residential center run by ChristieCare that treats mentally ill Native American and Native Alaskan youths, opened a year ago on the site of a former operator that was shut down by the state.

In that time, the center has treated more than 60 kids from middle through high school. The center, which includes academics, equine therapy, counseling and more, is especially vital for youth who face a high risk of substance abuse, foster placement and juvenile detention.

But for Cedar Bough even to open its doors, administrators at parent ChristieCare first had to close their mouths.

They were, after all, a non-Native organization offering to house and treat the youths of tribes with a long history of abuse from white America. Memories of children being taken from tribes, ordered to cut their hair and prevented from learning their culture remain fresh.

The historic context played out in countless meetings.

ChristieCare executive director Lynne Saxton recalls tough, early meetings with Native Americans tinged with distrust and fear.

During one meeting, growing red-faced as others spoke, Saxton knew she couldn't become defensive. She told herself, “I'm going to listen if this goes for two hours.”

“There were years of working and trust-building and tons of conversations about our deficits in serving Native Americans,” Saxton recalls. “There is so much to honor and respect in their cultures. Doing that well is not easy work.”

ChristieCare tackled the issue directly and formed a monthly Native American advisory council, which includes members of the Native American Youth Authority, Native American Rehabilitation Association, the National Indian Child Welfare Association, tribes and others. Native American spiritual leaders performed a cleansing ceremony of the wooded site before it opened. A ChristieCare staff member traveled the state visiting every recognized tribe six months before the doors opened.

ChristieCare also hired Sande Bea Allman, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and a well-known local leader as cultural liaison on staff at Cedar Bough.

Allman acknowledges that some Native Americans question whether a non-Native organization could help their kids. She points out that ChristieCare asked for help and shows a commitment to getting better. They listen to their consultants and attend local powwows to meet more people.

Allman was excited, too, to work with an organization dedicated to helping Native youths.

“I've known for years this service was needed,” she said. “They really need help, both psychological and social.”

At school, she acts as a translator, tipping teachers off to cultural no-nos, such as not touching someone's hair, which is considered sacred. She explains the rites around death to non-Native staff so they're not surprised when clients attend funerals.

Her role could feel weighty, tasked as she is with translating a multitude of traditions across many tribes. But Allman says she is grateful. “I would rather people have the right answer than just read something out of a book and assume that's what it means to be Native.”

Of course, not all the youths are enmeshed in their culture. Some come from reservations, but many others live in urban environments. They may not know their tribal bloodlines let alone cultural expectations or the history behind cedar bark crafts.

To help, Cedar Bough classes include Native history taught by trained staff, one third to half of whom are Natives. A traditional blessing begins lunch and dinner. Native grandmas come in to teach traditional crafts, such as beading.

Drum circle every Wednesday connects youth with elders, and the center offers culturally appropriate foods and activities, including canoe trips and huckleberry picking. Kids often come to Cedar Bough through referrals from their tribal mental health providers and have come from as far away as California.

“A lot of reservation communities have very little access to child psychiatry,” program director Becky Greear said.

Cedar Bough sets up individual education plans for those who need one to partner with their mental health counseling. Older teens can catch up on high school credits, get ready for community college or prepare for a job training program.

The goal is to return youth to their homes as quickly as possible, feeling stronger and better equipped to cope, Greear says.

But before residents leave, they receive a hawk feather to place on a staff that Allman keeps in her office. The feather represents a step on their journey.

In the future, Cedar Bough officials hope to offer enough follow-up services to ensure that kids receive stable care after they return home, Greear says.

ChristieCare, which started out as a religious charity but morphed into a major mental health provider, prides itself in going beyond traditional treatment, Saxton says.

That manifests in different ways, such as a recent PlayWrite camp at Cedar Bough that gave voice to the teens' emotional experiences and the forum to confidently share them with others.

“No one deserves a good life more than the children we serve,” Saxton said. “Our job is to make sure their life can be defined by their strengths and not just for their challenges.”