Leaders from across Washington state gathered on Vashon Island over the weekend to celebrate the Seattle Indian Health Board’s new Thunderbird Treatment Center.
This project has been years in the making. The nonprofit closed the original Thunderbird Treatment Center in 2020, after the health board determined the South Seattle facility was outdated.
The 92-bed rehab facility for drug and alcohol addiction is expected to open later this year with 77 beds initially available for patients. The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday included traditional singing and a tour of the facility. Local leaders also gave remarks.
“It has a long history of success with both Native and non-Native people alike by incorporating Indigenous ways of healing within the program,” said Democratic state Rep. Chris Stearns, who represents Auburn. “I'm proud that Thunderbird and the Seattle Indian Health Board continue to expand and provide life-saving services throughout the region."
The nonprofit spent $36 million to purchase a former assisted living facility and renovate it. In a news release, the health board said it will be the largest drug and alcohol inpatient treatment facility in King County. The facility will add dozens of recovery beds to King County’s integrated care network, which provides behavioral health services to Medicaid patients.
Esther Lucero, CEO of the Seattle Indian Health Board, said the new location on Vashon Island makes it a wonderful place for people to reset and focus on their recovery.
“You need to step away from some of those vices that have fueled your addiction, or maybe those experiences of trauma that have initiated your movement towards substances,” she told KNKX.
The center will offer a 45-day program to Native American and non-Native patients, focused on providing care rooted in Indigenous perspectives.
“They will go through programming that is rich with arts and ceremony and some of those western modalities that also work in recovery,” Lucero said. “They will have a counselor who gives them that same love, respect and care, help guide them through their challenges.”
Patients will have access to mental health services and health care. Lucero said most beds at the center will be available to individuals who qualify for Medicaid and Medicare. The facility will also have 15 rooms dedicated to adults with young children and pregnant patients, which are expected to be available next year.
“The rooms are designed so they can have their children with them. So, we have cribs and children’s beds,” she said. The center will also have a daycare and programming that "incorporates children in their recovery."
The Thunderbird Treatment Center is now hiring staff.
