Social Services
Gwen Gua, Social Services
Program Manager
The Social Services staff is dedicated to working with the five tribes as they strive to empower their community members. SPIPA shares the vision of the tribes: success, safety, and wellness for everyone. Programs include:
- Foster Care Program – SPIPA constantly recruits for new foster home through outreach activities. Interested parents receive training and assistance with becoming licensed homes.
- Foster Care Shared Fees – complements the Foster Care Program. Unspent service fees paid to SPIPA may be distributed to the Consortium Tribes based on active foster child placements in that Tribal service area. The Fees provide case management for foster children by the Indian Child Welfare Case Workers.
- Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) – Tribal Youth Delinquency Prevention, the Bishop Foundation, the Norcliffe Foundation, US West, the SPIPA Public Health and Safety Network – (Family Policy Council) – partner to keep our tribal youth on the path to becoming future leaders.
- Bridging the Gap – Develops and strengthens effective responses in rural areas to victims of rape, sexual asssault, and stalking. The program has a variety of goals all designed to keep the victims (adults and children) safe and to provide advocacy. Victim has access to housing and transportation. Bridge the Gap leverages resources through collaboration with community organizations sharing the same goals.
- Children's Justice Act – assists our communities to develop child sensitive procedures to minimize further trauma to victimized children. Partnership with the Washington Child and Family Service Programs that handle child abuse and child sexual abuse/assault to assist with investigation, prosecution, and treatment.
- Community Sexual Assault Program – Advocacy and Therapy for Adult and Child Sexual Assault/Abuse Victims (CTED/OCVA)
- Violence Prevention, Crisis Intervention, Victim Advocacy – Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement; Family Violence Prevention.
Guest speaker Mary Cagey
at the ICW Dinner 2007.
Speakers Gene Tagaban and Swil Kanim
involve foster children in song
at the Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner.
While the Five Tribes have experienced a period of economic growth, the communities continue to face a number of social issues ranging from domestic violence to juvenile delinquency.
The SPIPA Social Services Department is dedicated to working with each of the five tribes as they strive to empower their communities to become free of violence, abuse, and oppression.
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