BEMIDJI — Sanford Health’s substance use disorder program in Bemidji 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 a culturally-based curriculum, including Native American ceremonies and teachings as part of its 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,” shared Mindie Bird, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor from Sanford Bemidji’s program.
Bird said this means the program can work with a wide variety of professionals within the Sanford Health system, including doctors, nurses, case managers and other supportive services.
“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,” Bird said.
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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 and group, licensed alcohol and drug counseling services, community-based treatment coordination services, and community outreach based peer recovery services.
Currently available to assist adults ages 18 and older going through substance use, the Bemidji program plans to add adolescent services for ages 12-17 in the spring.
Anyone with questions regarding the wellbriety program can call (218) 333-2006 for more information.
The Trust Project
