Wind River Tribal Youth Program blends prevention, treatment and tribal tradition

The Wind River Tribal Youth Program offers support for youth and adults struggling with issues ranging from truancy and bullying to family problems, drug addiction or suicide. According to Wilma Pinnock, public health advisor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, what makes the program stand out is the diversity in treatment it offers and the support and involvement of tribal elders. The Wind River program offers treatment for addictions and behavioral issues, as well as a place for youth to hang out and reconnect with American Indian culture through activities like sweat lodges and talking circles. “It’s a healing village for all community members,” said Pinnock, who hopes that other reservation programs will use the Wind River program as a model for their own prevention plans. According to George Leonard, a suicide prevention coordinator with the program, youth on the reservation face challenges the elders didn’t when they were growing up, including easier access to drugs and fewer jobs or opportunities for recreation. To counteract these forces, youth “need to find a piece of their identity as Native Americans,” said Leonard. “They need an intervention in a cultural sense.”