Sanford Health’s substance use disorder program in Bemidji, Minnesota, was recently certified as one of less than two dozen Wellbriety Certified Treatment Centers in the nation.
To become a Wellbriety Certified Treatment Center, a substance use program must meet specific criteria upheld by the White Bison organization. This includes ensuring all counselors are trained in and incorporate culturally based curriculum, providing access to a Native American elder who conducts ceremonies and provides teachings and incorporating traditional Native American healing practices (smudging, pipe ceremony, sweat lodge, etc.) into the program.
“What makes our program stand out is that we can offer advocacy and education for cultural integration into a larger corporate style health care system. This means we can work with doctors, nurses, case managers, ARMHS (adult rehabilitative mental health services) worker, assertive community treatment teams, children’s therapeutic supportive services and individual psychotherapy within the Sanford system,” said Mindie Bird, LADC, licensed alcohol and drug counselor from Sanford Bemidji’s substance use disorder program.
“We also have the unique ability to educate, advocate and support our clientele in building positive relationships with health care teams to improve health disparities seen within the Native American population.”
Sanford Bemidji’s substance use disorder program offers culturally aligned services and resources to support individuals seeking long-term recovery from substance use. The program aims for counselors to work as a team to provide individual, group-licensed alcohol and drug counseling services, individual, group and community-based treatment coordination services and individual and community outreach-based peer recovery services.
Currently available to assist adults ages 18+ going through substance use, the Bemidji program plans to add adolescent services for ages 12-17 in spring of 2023.
With questions regarding the Wellbriety program, please call (218) 333-2006.
Learn more
- ‘Wellbriety’ program helps Natives, others with addiction
- Native American community advocate meets people where they are
- Dialogue, education can break down Native barriers to care
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Posted In Behavioral Health, Bemidji, Chemical Dependency, Company News, Here for all. Here for good., Inclusion at Sanford
