To respond to the need for substance abuse treatment in the Norton Sound, Norton Sound Health Corporation is planning on starting a substance abuse treatment center in Nome. The Wellness and Sobering Center will be based in the old hospital, and may open as early as fall 2014.
NSHC is looking to village-based counselors, tribal healers, and elders to help design the program. They’re hoping to incorporate the traditional strengths of the people and the culture into addiction treatment.
Last week, KNOM’s Eva DeLappe spoke with the co-chairs of the Wellness Center’s Cultural Committee: Emma Olanna of Brevig Mission and Lucy Apatiki of Gambell.
To hear more about the Cultural Committee’s plans for the Wellness and Sobering Center, listen above.
