Local task force looks forward

By Molly Miron Pioneer Editor

Nearly three years ago, the Bemidji Area Task Force on Underage Drinking, Illegal Drug Use & Gang Activity energized and organized a broad spectrum of the community.

Its goal: to make Bemidji as healthy a place as possible for young people. Now, “Bemidji Leads!” has also taken on the goal of making Bemidji the city with the lowest incidence statewide of drug abuse.

The task force started out with about 70 people from a wide range of agencies working with youth. That number has shrunk to a core of about 25, but the members have accomplished many of their goals. The task force plans a celebration early in November around the third anniversary of the group. Besides highlighting the successes, the task force wants input from the community on the direction for the future, ideas about how the community has changed since 2002 and more members committed to accomplishing the mission of the task force.

Robyn Trepanier of Gilfillan Center reported that Sober Camp was a success last month with 25 girls and 26 boys participating in a weekend of canoeing, volleyball and other camp activities, along with serious programs on putting healthy balance in their lives. The theme was for youth in chemical dependency treatment or recovery to “have fun and make connections on the path to recovery.” There were 40 volunteers and staff from various recovery agencies, mostly in northern Minnesota. The youth ranged in age from 13 to 18 years old.

Sober School for recovering teen has been reorganized at Riverside School at the Gilfillan Center. It could accommodate up to 70 students.

“I think Sober School is something we have to try,” said Pam Brown of Bemidji High School, citing the high reuse rate of young people who return from treatment to their peer groups.

Evergreen Youth Recovery Program is a halfway house with minimum residency of three months and longer treatment periods according to parents’ and treatment agency recommendations. Most of the seven youth living at the house go to school at the Cass Lake Alternative Learning Center, said Becky Schueller, Evergreen executive director. The services include family sessions on Sundays.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area was another goal the task force accomplished. One of the new programs, said Executive Director Leonore Potter, is the Skills Mastery and Resistance Training SMART Moves and SMART Girls programs. Through the program, youngsters learn how to deal with peer pressure in the areas of alcohol, drug and tobacco use and early sexuality. She said the program graduated 30 boys and girls in grades three through five and SMART Girls graduated nine girls this summer.

“It’s amazing what we’ve accomplished together in a couple of years from nothing,” said Trepanier. “I’m just so proud of being a part of this.”

The community will be invited to join in the November celebration and ideas session.