Tribal Council approves grant application for detox center

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved a $4 million grant application to the Oregon Health Authority to help the Tribe continue its battle against opioid addiction at its Wednesday, Oct. 23, meeting.  

If awarded, the grant would be used to help fund construction of a detox center and to continue supporting the Tribe’s two medication assisted treatment facilities in Salem and Portland. The grant funds would also cover two substance use disorder counselors, three safety technicians, a system coordinator, a half-time medical director, medical supplies and beds.

The Tribe opened its first medication assisted clinic, Great Circle Recovery, on Commercial Street Northeast in Salem in 2021 and a Portland clinic in 2023. Since then, both clinics have served hundreds of clients.

Additionally, both clinics provide mobile units for those unable to get to the brick-and-mortar locations to receive treatment.

Great Circle Recovery is the first Tribally-owned opioid treatment program in Oregon, and its treatment clinics are the option of last resort for people suffering from addiction, many of whom have tried to quit using drugs on multiple occasions.

The Tribe decided to open the two MAT clinics because of the epidemic of opioids disproportionally affecting Native Americans. Treatment offered at Great Circle is culturally sensitive and staff members view opioid addiction not as a moral failing, but as “a dirge on our people.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, opioid overdose deaths among Native Americans are much higher than the national average and have increased by a staggering 500 percent since 2000. This increase is mostly driven by synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine and often added to other street drugs to increase profits.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation for continued restoration work on the Tribe’s conservation properties;
• Approved a conservation services agreement between the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department and the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program to accept a grant for $3,651;
• Approved a declaration of cooperation between the Tribe and the Willamette Valley Oak Prairie Cooperative;
• Approved a grant application for up to $500,000 to the Miller Foundation of Portland to fund arts programming through the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department;
• Approved an application for a Meyer Memorial Trust general allocation grant for up to $200,000 to supplement costs for the Tribe’s Salmon Strength team and to hire a communications firm to help with outreach and messaging;
• Approved appointing Dara Dickinson and Melody Wright to the Housing Grievance Board with terms ending March 31, 2027;
• Declared a per capita period of Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2024, with Dec.13 as the payment date;
• Approved a $412,500 grant agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement floodplain restoration on the Tribe’s 348-acre Chahalpam conservation property in Marion County;
• And approved a memorandum of understanding with Travel Oregon.

  In other business, Tribal Council set the agenda for the Sunday, Nov. 3, General Council meeting, which will include a 2025 budget hearing in executive session.

To watch the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab.