Drug Addiction Treatment Efforts Expanding

CHUGIAK, Alaska - Aug. 24, 2018 - PRLog -- A new drug addiction treatment center will serve the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (Mat-Su).

The Cook Inlet Tribal Council held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug 2 for its new Ernie Turner Center (ETC).

Patients who have completed drug detoxification can apply for the six-month residential program.

The center currently has room for 16 patients. The location features family events, group therapy and counseling sessions, as well as outdoor activities such as gardening and horseback riding.

The center will focus on holistic treatment that emphasizes Alaskan Native (AN) heritage. Built like the dwellings of the Dena'ina people, the center will foster a family atmosphere. Patients will participate in a 'village of care' model and assume roles that resemble those of an AN tribe.

ETC is a welcome resource for the Mat-Su Valley. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) treatment locator lists less than 40 addiction treatment providers in the area.

Recently Congress devoted $50 million of its federal budget to expand addiction recovery resources for Native American and AN communities.

https://www.drugaddictionnow.com/2018/08/23/chugiak-drug-addiction-treatment-efforts-expanding/