Culture is medicine for us

 Grand Ronde tribes open residential treatment facility for Native patients

(Photo: Brian Bull)

Native Americans needing help with addiction and substance abuse have an option opening this month in the town of Sheridan, Oreg.

KLCC’s Brian Bull reports on the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde’s new residential treatment facility.

“It really turned out amazing, we did a blessing ceremony on Friday.”

With dark wood decor and soothing tones of gray and green, the Main Street Recovery facility is spacious and calming.

Operations director Jennifer Worth shows where clients will sleep, meet, do chores, and get “wraparound” services.

“Having full access to counseling, group, case management, any other hands-on services that a tribal member may need.”

Worth says any Native American 18 or older can be helped here, if they are medically stable and beds are available.

“Other things we’re working on is hopefully adding a sweat lodge in the back.”

Kelly Rowe is the executive director of tribal health services for the Grand Ronde.

She says like their opioid recovery clinics in Salem and Portland, the Sheridan facility integrates Western medicine with Native practices.

“Culture is medicine for us.  Making sure that we don’t lose sight of who we are as a people, and how we want our tribal members – as well as other Natives – to feel that they’re part of something bigger and that we’re here for them.”

The recovery center will be taking a few clients next week.

Up to 18 beds are on-site, in an area adjacent to the Grand Ronde reservation.

Part of a major $6 billion opioid settlement helped fund the Main Street Recovery facility.