Cook Inlet Tribal Council Ernie Turner Center Review
Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) in Anchorage, Alaska was founded in 1983. A tribal non-profit organization, CITC provides services to Alaska residents, with an emphasis on serving the Native American population. Substance abuse treatment options include detox, residential, outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP). Although designed to serve locals, non-Alaska residents are eligible to attend the residential program, though the waiting list is usually about four months long. At CITC, clients are encouraged to focus on re-entry into the community, through job skills training and educational support.
Accommodations and Food
CITC’s detox and inpatient treatment both take place at the Ernie Turner Center (ETC). The pretty, modern building is a 13,000 square foot two-story structure on masonry walls. It has a 24 bed capacity, with 12 beds designated for detox and 12 for residential treatment. Each room has its own bathroom. Most of the rooms are double capacity, but there are two single, handicap accessible rooms. In addition to living quarters, there are meeting rooms, visiting rooms, kitchen and dining facilities, as well as office space for center personnel.
Each member of the group assists with cooking and cleaning for the house, along with other necessary chores. The house accommodates most special dietary requests.
Treatment and Staff
Detox is a free service offered to the Anchorage community through the Department of Health and Social Services. During medical detox, participants will first be stabilized, then as withdrawal symptoms ease, they will begin attending daily groups, and having access to a case manager who can assist with making referrals to other appropriate services. The average stay in detox is five to seven days, then clients can seamlessly transfer to another program.
After a client has gone through detox and is medically cleared, case managers assist in organizing the indivdual’s plan for recovery, whether in the residential, IOP or outpatient program. CITC participants grow in recovery through the warmth of traditional community support, with a cultural slant.
Clients participate in therapeutic activities throughout the course of each day, including the therapeutic village community model, which derives its values and structure from American Indian heritage. Clients are “brothers,” “sisters,” or otherwise “family members” in the CITC community. They appoint leaders within its group. Those who are appointed become “First Chief” or “Second Chief,” examples of roles that facilitate communication and change within the community. Inpatient treatment includes both individual and group therapy. Two types of therapy groups are available—educational and trauma groups. CITC community supports 12-step based recovery. Clients are free to attend 12-step meetings off-site, though meetings are also available on-site.
The Clare Swan Outpatient and IOP center provides treatment for 12 weeks. Clients in outpatient treatment are required to attend individual therapy every other week and one to two group therapy sessions per week, for a total of three to four hours. IOP clients attend three three-hour groups and one individual therapy session per week, for a total of 10 hours.
The staff consists of CSACs, CSWs, nurse practitioners and a consulting physician.
Extras
Cook Inlet offers a program called Chanlyut (the Dena’ina Athabascan word for “new beginnings”), a workforce re-entry program for those who have begun the recovery process. Clients who have had trouble with the law or have faced homelessness lean on this program to learn new job and life skills.
In Summary
The Native American influence through the Cook Inlet Tribal Council substance abuse treatment program sets this facility apart from other rehabs. Clients become integrated in a family of people who are invested in preserving the rich cultural values found in native communities. The Anchorage community has a vested interest in its people recovering from substance abuse so that they can contribute to their community once again.
Cook Inlet Tribal Council Location
3600 San Jeronimo Dr
Anchorage, AK 99508
Cook Inlet Tribal Council Cost
(Sliding scale, between $500 and $5,000 per month, inpatient). Reach Cook Inlet Tribal Council by phone at (907) 793-3600 or by email. Find Cook Inlet Tribal Council on Facebook and Twitter
Do you have a complaint or review of Cook Inlet Tribal Council to add? Use the comments area below to add your Cook Inlet Tribal Council review.
Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
