United Health Foundation, Cankdeska Cikana Community College Launch New $1.2 Million Partnership to Expand Access to Substance Abuse Treatment for the Spirit Lake Dakota Community

Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC) and United Health Foundation are launching a new partnership to expand access to substance abuse treatment for the Spirit Lake Dakota community and support long-term recovery and wellness. U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp joined in the announcement to mark the beginning of the partnership.

The concern around drug use and alcohol abuse has become so heightened that the Spirit Lake Tribal Council has declared a “state of emergency.” CCCC conducted a comprehensive community assessment that found members of the community ranked access to substance abuse treatment facilities as the No. 1 community health care need.

The new partnership will support the construction and launch of Tiospaye Okciyapi Tipi, which is defined as a home or place for families helping families. This will include the conversion of a former group home into a 15-bed residential substance abuse treatment center for adults in the Spirit Lake Dakota community. The center will serve as the only residential treatment facility in the area that is accessible to those outside the local law enforcement system. The partnership will also provide in-kind expertise and counsel to develop a culturally competent staffing model and cultivate a workforce pipeline for effectively delivering addiction treatment and prevention services in a rural setting.

“Ensuring that all of our citizens have access to health care to help treat substance abuse is a critical step in helping to keep our communities healthy, strong and safe,” said Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. “The devastating effects of substance abuse affect families and communities across our state, and on Spirit Lake it’s particularly dire. That’s why this partnership between United Health Foundation and the Cankdeska Cikana Community College is so critical in addressing this urgent community need. This collaboration will help North Dakotans who need critical care services ensure they can receive those services from care providers right in their community.”

The Cankdeska Cikana Community College is implementing the grant in coordination with the existing Spirit Lake Recovery & Wellness Program and the college’s own students and faculty. Students and faculty from the College’s construction trades department will support renovation activities, and Spirit Lake Recovery & Wellness employees will staff the new residential treatment center.