Rocky Boy offering workshops on recovery and addictions

Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation is partnering with Stone Child College, debuting a Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families-Child Welfare Initiative workforce development program through workshops in November, starting Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the TANF conference room, 31 Agency Square, at Rocky Boy Agency.

Friday’s workshop will cover living sober and early recovery.

“The purpose of the Tribal TANF-Child Welfare … was to bridge Tribal TANF with Chippewa Cree Social Services for purposes of collaboration,” TANF-Child Welfare Initiative Project Coordinator Mike Geboe said. “TTCW is an arm of the Chippewa Cree TANF program that works closely together on case management of clients.”

Geboe said the goal of the program is to advance TANF clients into workforce and education paths, through self-sufficiency.

TANF is a federally funded program that assists families with children when the parents or other responsible relatives cannot provide for the family’s basic needs, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services webpage said.

The recovery skills group is an educational program that started November 2018 to promote a sober life in recovery from addiction.

Geboe added that the focus is on healing and developing wellness for the family.

“Addiction recovery is associated with having more time with advancing educational endeavors,” he said. “Recovery is a path to a better life, but that life is often challenging and stressful. With recovery supports in the community, people have more help with the journey of a sober life.”

The program is open to the community with no cost for participants, and Stone Child College offered the eight-week session for college credit.

“Our objective is to create an awareness of the educational opportunities available in the community,” he said. “We offer parenting classes, driver’s license exam preparation classes, HiSET high school equivalency classes and a talking circle. These are all offered weekly.”

Geboe said that the curriculum offers participants the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of responsible fatherhood and motherhood as reflected in Native American values and beliefs.

He added that having a tribal workforce development program in the Rocky Boy community provides many benefits.

“The first is that it provides individuals with the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes that result in improved work performance or gainful employment,” he said. “The second benefit of workforce development is that it provides employers with an effective method to communicate, share and meet their demand for skills. The third benefit is that college credit is earned.”

Administration for Families and Children not only funded Tribal TANF-Child Welfare, but also promotes economic and social well-being of children, families and individuals and provides communities with leadership and resources, he added.

The other workshops throughout month offered are on Native Interventions for Wellness set for Friday, Nov. 15, and then a guest speaker on family recovery addiction Friday, Nov. 22.

People who would like more information can contact Workforce Development Program Liaison Specialist Ken Lafromboise at 395-5814, Tara Top Sky at [email protected] or 395-4875 or Geboe at 395-5814.