Construction of New Elder Facility Underway

In late July, Cook Inlet Housing Authority broke ground on Tyonek Terrace, a 40-unit elder apartment complex to be located on approximately 2.5 acres of CIHA’s existing elder campus.

“Serving elders is and always has been a priority for Cook Inlet Housing Authority, and we’re proud that we’re able to offer this new facility,” said Carol Gore, Cook Inlet Housing Authority president and chief executive officer. “We’ve had a lengthy waiting list for our elder properties, and we think with the recent addition of the 53-unit Kenaitze Pointe property and now Tyonek Terrace we’re making great progress toward meeting the need.”
During a formal ceremony on July 22, Rita Blumenstein, a tribal doctor with Southcentral Foundation’s Traditional Healing Program, performed a blessing of the land to thank the earth, give the land a fresh start, and spread good will to those building the facility as well as those who will eventually live there. Blumenstein sang a song in her Native Yup’ik and sprinkled tobacco on the exposed earth as a gift back to the land.

President of Tyonek Village Tribe Peter Merryman was also present and gave thanks to Cook Inlet Housing for honoring the village through the construction of the new facility. Cook Inlet Housing Authority has renamed all of its elder rental properties in honor of the various tribes and villages of the Cook Inlet region. The buildings at CIHA’s Muldoon housing complex are named Salamatof Heights, Chickaloon Landing, Knik Corners, Kenaitze Pointe and now Tyonek Terrace. The villages of Ninilchik and Seldovia are represented by the CIHA facilities located in those communities.

Construction on the $8.8 million Tyonek Terrace project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2004. The project will consist of 35 one-bedroom (approx. 645 square feet) and five two-bedroom (approx. 996 square feet) units. Thirty-five of the 40 units will serve elders earning 60 percent or less of the area median income – less than $30,900 for a single- or $35,340 for a two-person household. It’s anticipated that four of the units will be “unrestricted” or available to elders regardless of income.

Common areas will include a central lobby and lounge area, a community room and tenant use kitchen, a TV room, library, and crafts room. There will also be private sitting areas, individual storage areas for each tenant, and laundry facilities on each floor, heated sidewalks and secure entrances. The facility will also incorporate many elder-friendly design features such as adjustable shower fixtures, low-glare flooring and front-mounted appliance controls.

Family Treatment Grant to Provide Home-Visits

In June, Cook Inlet Tribal Council received an award notice from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide substance abuse treatment to families. The award of $500,000 per year for three years will increase availability of services to Alaska Native families by taking treatment “to” families through an innovative home-visit model of service delivery. The grant will add 16 outpatient treatment slots to Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s Substance Abuse Services Division’s constellation of services, serving 48 Alaska Native individuals per year. The services will be family oriented, addressing both substance abuse and family violence in treatment and recovery. For more information about the Family Treatment Grant, contact Jane Garrow at (907) 265-5980.

New Program Offers Transitional Living

Southcentral Foundation’s Transitional Living program is designed to provide temporary housing and support services for Alaska Native/American Indian men and women 18 years of age and older who are engaged in outpatient alcohol and/or drug treatment, or who have completed treatment and are engaged in the process of re-establishing themelves in work, housing and support activities.

Individuals with various other circumstances and life situations may be eligible for services at the discretion of program managers. The Transitional Living program does not provide treatment services, but provides a safe, drug-free, structured environment that seeks to facilitate recovery while the person engages in treatment and the subsequent transition back into society. The projected length of stay for residents is one to nine months, but is determined based on the needs of the client.

Intensive case management, which includes weekly assessment of client progress toward established goals, is the primary basis for determining length of stay. Referrals to the program originate from treatment providers; state, public and private social service agencies; the medical community; and individuals seeking services for themselves or others. Referrals are screened, and a determination is made as to the client’s need and the program’s ability to provide appropriate services.

A completed application and certain required information must be submitted before acceptance into the program can be determined. The Transitional Living program is staffed around the clock and will provide supportive and structured activities for residents. Transportation to treatment programs will be provided. Evening support groups and group activities will be components of a highly structured program that allows little free time for the residents. Residents will also be involved in living activities including cooking, cleaning, snow removal and yard work. As progress is made through treatment, residents will begin more time working with their case manager on seeking permanent housing, a job or vocational training, or other goals identified in the service plan.
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The target population of the Transitional Living program is exclusively Alaska Native/American Indian men and women, age 18 and older who voluntarily enter the program and remain committed to staying sober, and who are working diligently to establish themselves as responsible, contributing members of society. For more information about this program, call (907) 729-2511.

Survey by The CIRI Foundation Confirms Education is Key to Self Sufficiency

In early 2002, The CIRI Foundation contracted the McDowell Group to conduct a mail survey of CIRI's voting shareholders. Approximately 40 percent of CIRI's voting shareholders participated.

“This is a phenomenal return rate, which shows how important education is to our people,” said Susan Anderson, president and chief executive officer of The CIRI Foundation.

The survey gathered information about income, household size, home ownership, employment, age, and gender as well as information about educational experiences. The data collected show that overall, The CIRI Foundation scholarship and grant recipients have positively improved their quality of life through education. This mirrors national statistics that show the more education a person acquires, the more earning potential they have throughout their lives.

Survey respondents who had received Foundation scholarship or grant funding to attend school shared the following qualities:

• Higher household income: $57,500 vs. $49,400 overall



• More likely to have earned a college degree :
  36 % vs. 18 % overall



• More likely to be fully employed: 56 % vs. 38 % overall