Smoke Signals staff writer
Throughout her childhood, Grand Ronde Tribal member Alicialeigh Selwyn had a dream. She wanted to be a psychiatrist and to help people. She lost that dream for a while, falling into despair, alcohol misuse and drug abuse as a young adult. Once she had sought treatment, she grieved, she said, “for lost time.”
But those hard, painful years are standing her in good stead. Selwyn is back on her life’s path, armed with personal insight into the struggles of those she wants to help along with formal education in psychology and mental health studies. In late November, Painted Horse Recovery, a center dedicated to supporting Native Americans recovering from addiction with peer support and cultural connections, opened a new peer mentoring center in Salem. Selwyn was tapped to lead it, based on those same struggles and her hard work to overcome them…