Community Readiness Results

Stage Definitions:
3 - Vague awareness. There is a general feeling among some in the community that there is a local problem and that something ought to be done about it, but there is no immediate motivation to do anything. There may be stories or anecdotes about a problem, but ideas about why the problem occurs and who has the problem tend to be stereotyped and/or vague. No identifiable leadership exists or leadership lacks energy or motivation for dealing with this problem. Community climate does not serve to motivate leaders.

4 - Preplanning. There is clear recognition on the part of at least some that there is a local problem and that something should be done about it. There are identifiable leaders, and there may even be a committee, but efforts are not focused or detailed. There is discussion but no real planning of actions to address the problem. Community climate is beginning to acknowledge the necessity of dealing with the problem.

5 - Preparation. Planning is going on and focuses on practical details. There is general information about local problems and about the pros and cons of efforts, (actions or policies), but it may not be based on formally collected data. Leadership is active and energetic. Decisions are being made about what will be done and who will do it. Resources (people, money, time, space, etc.) are being actively sought or has been committed. Community climate offers modest support of the efforts.

Themes from the Interveiws

In addition to providing the above readiness scores, a summary of the comments that emerged from the five interviews for the community at large are listed below.

Please describe the efforts that are available in your community to address Native American youth delinquency. How long have these efforts been available?

I don’t see very much of that unfortunately
Nothing here strictly for Native Americans other than what Choctaw Nation
A couple of facilities for juveniles
I don’t know
Youth Services does intervention and prevention
Haskell County Outreach, which is operated by the Leflore County Youth Services
Individual counseling, group counseling is available through Leflore County Youth Services which has a satellite office in Haskell County
Operating about five years
Graduated Sanction Program in January which is available to first time offenders, school problem children, and parents can refer if their child is beyond their control
I know the Talihina School has a strict 3-strike-out policy
Not sure of any efforts
Our boarding school has saved a lot of students that would otherwise have no place to go, or end up getting themselves into trouble
DHS become involved and makes referral for counseling
Juvenile system becomes involved, providing counseling
This have been available a long time

What are the strengths of these efforts?

Very little prevention stuff
Counselors are dedicated and work hard in an effort to prevent
Kids slip through the cracks because we aren’t aware of signs
We all work together
Our juvenile services, schools, child welfare and police department work together to try to solve the problem, not create one
Getting the information into the community through public relations and through Juvenile Services and the Haskell County Outreach office
We have the community involvement
Drug testing
Drug counseling
Drug education
Parenting classes for the parents
Community service
Mentoring programs like big brother, big sister programs
Counselors at school
Medical attention
Academics and tutoring
A holistic approach
Hiring several Native Americans to work with Native children

What are the weaknesses of these efforts?

The community’s not involved into the juvenile process
No funding to get kids off the street and out of juvenile delinquency
Not identifying a child in trouble and they slip through the cracks
No one making an effort to call a child to someone’s attention that they are a potential for trouble
Parental involvement
It is a rural area
Small population
Lack of resources in general
Some kids need long term involvement, more than 90 days
We need to expand services to 6 months to a year program
Delinquency, there can be charges filed
Not attending school
Not addressing all the issues behind truancy
Lack of overall understanding systemically of what’s going on

What would you like to see added to the efforts for youth?

A center and preventive programs
Community pull together
Need YMCA or Boys and Girl’s clubs
Need to get kids off the streets
Nothing for them to do especially in the summer time
Need more recreational activities for kids
Nothing in our community at all other than organized sports
More parent involvement
Additional funding
Additional counseling services available for Native American youth specifically directed for those children
Drug Alcohol Treatment
More services because there is not a whole lot allowed
Resources to address children’s behaviors
Programs for the families
We are doing more and more but it is still not enough
Programs for schools, friends and all that
More mentor groups
More volunteers to be mentors to troubled teens
More of the Scared Straight program
Our County Youth Services bring down a group of troubled youth, it’s kind of like their last chance before their incarcerated
More community involvement, as parents, teachers, and so forth
Parents and teachers should volunteer to be mentors and/or tutors, you know, keep the kids more involved in school
More after-school programs
We need the Boys and Girls Club; that gives the youth something to do after school, play some basketball, shoot some pool, play Nintendo, something that’s going to keep them off the streets and keep them from doing other things
Building their self-confidence
Kids are more likely to stay out of trouble if they are active
Youth center in every town that has over 3000 in the Choctaw area

What are the primary obstacles to efforts in your community?

Lack of funds
I see is the other agencies seeking grants
Financial
Getting more people involved
Educate people on what’s going on with juvenile delinquents
Parent involvement
When there is truancy no matter whether it’s Native American or what culture or nationality I think the parents should be more involved
Get to the problem, solve the problem and go on
Parents need to be more involved in their children
Lack of public relations
Any youth services
ANC’s or like boys clubs
There is a lack of those type of facilities
Resources
Lack of awareness
Lack of support
No cooperation from the parents, it is really hard to get them involved
Having people more aware of what’s going on and what’s facing the Native American youth of today
I think if the community were educated about the benefits, they would accept it and support it

What is the community's attitude about supporting efforts with people volunteering time, making financial donations, and providing space?

I don’t know
Very low
People don’t want to spend time helping delinquents
No time
I think they would be very open to that
Very community oriented county
All work together, not per say the parents until you get them involved
Sometimes you have to go through the legal system to get parents involved
Everybody works hand in hand
We have a lot of community service people, the community gets very involved and not necessary truancy children all children here
This is football and baseball county, everybody gets involved
Very good
Efforts are needed and wanted by community leaders
Super, when we started this program they just came out of the woodwork, We’ve got more adults wanting to be mentors than we have kids to give them
We don’t get a whole lot as far as volunteerism, its almost non-existent
It’s very seldom you will find a juvenile delinquent in foster care
If nothing else part of this foster care group to where they know their going to be safe
But as far as I know there’s no other services that are available to juvenile delinquents, because they are placed with their families, its up to the family to provide everything they need
If there were a program, the support would be overwhelming
I don’t know of a resource right not that is available
I think the support would be above average
It’s alright, it could be better
I think there are a lot of people out there that really want to bring the community together
People really want to volunteer their time and finances any way to help
If word was out to the public, the awareness of the issues being faced by several of these
Native Americans, that would help the cause a lot
They really do that well
If someone provides space they see that as NOT coming out of their tax dollars
If someone donates time, it doesn’t come out of their tax dollars either
Youth is supported with fund raisers and donations, they just need the opportunity

Participant Demographics

The following information was optional:

Gender:	Female - 8
	Male - 3
Ethnicity:	Native American - 8
	Anglo - 1
	Other - 4
Age Range:	19 to 44 - 3
	45 to 65 - 8

Recommendations:

Council Oak Training and Evaluation would like to make the following recommendations, based on the above scores and themes:

- The results of this report should be reviewed by all appropriate stakeholders.
- The staff and the Task Force should prioritize the lower dimensions that need to be addressed.
- It is suggested that the strategies should focus on the dimensions knowledge of the issue, community climate and leadership.
- A meeting could be offered to the Task Force to present the results and obtain their input and recommendations. Members from all areas of the community should be involved in the Task Force process, including professional and community members.
- Communication throughout the process will be a critical element in order to keep people informed of progress and obstacles.

It is very positive sign that the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma chose to conduct this assessment at this time and the effort demonstrates a strong and very real commitment to their youth.