Therapy in time of pandemic: Problems, issues highlighted for addiction treatment center

By Kyler Litson
Special to the Times

PHOENIX

In January 2020, Hope and Healing Treatment Centers opened its first location in Phoenix with Park Place Recovery.

The 24-hour, inpatient residential facility differs from most addiction treatment centers with its primary focus centered on helping Native Americans treat addiction.

Recently, Hope and Healing opened a secondary location in the Valley, Sterling Recovery.

With the growth and opening of the new treatment center, the team at Hope and Healing had much to learn about operating an addiction treatment center in the midst of a global pandemic.

A year ago, Park Place Recovery had just one client at its 10-bedroom facility with an acre of outdoor space. COVID-19’s disruption on the accessibility of medical needs outside of the pandemic was a glaring issue, said Dana Achim, executive director at Hope and Healing.

“It was incredibly difficult to start something like this even if the demand and the need was there,” Achim said. “To just do it in the middle of an unprecedented medical nightmare that nobody knew how to deal with – it was very brave of us to do this.”

In October of 2020, Park Place was at full capacity with 10 occupants.

“Despite the risks, the obstacles, roadblocks, it wasn’t easy,” she said. “It was one of the most difficult things that we had to do. We took all the measures.”

Achim attributes the success to her team and their dedication to work long hours and create measures to ensure client safety.

In dealing with clients from Native American communities, Michael Cunningham, director of community relations, noted a new perspective brought on by the pandemic.

“Working through a pandemic,” he said, “the issues that patients are dealing with have changed as well. Lot of them have limited access to care as a result of the pandemic. Lot of them are dealing with a death in the family as a result of the pandemic.”

Both Achim and Cunningham acknowledged a change was needed in how therapy was conducted as a result of the pandemic’s impact on Native American communities.

In treatment and therapy, Hope and Healing has taken evidence-based practices in addiction treatment and infused it with traditional Native teachings.

Hope and Healing has relied on spiritual advisors like Dwight Francisco, of the Tohono O’odham Nation, to make that pairing seamless and beneficial to clients.

Francisco runs the well-briety presentations and talking circles with clients. The term “well-briety” is a part of the Wellbriety movement, a grassroots effort that provides culturally based healing for the next seven generations of indigenous people, according to Wellbriety’s official website.

Francisco said he is a recovering addict and a trained BHT (behavioral health technician).

“I understand from all perspectives – what it’s like to be the client and the BHT and now adding in this cultural perspective as being a cultural counselor,” he said.

Francisco said the unique approach in treatment at Hope and Healing is needed in Native communities that are sometimes the hardest hit by social ills and community problems.

“You throw something like a pandemic into the middle of all of that,” he said, “you can imagine how much that perfect storm exacerbates the problems they are already dealing with as a result of things like historical trauma, personal trauma, and intergenerational trauma.”

Seeing clients leave after their time at Hope and Healing has greatly inspired Francisco.

“I’m more of an outside voice stepping in,” he said. “I’m not a full-time employee, I’m not there all the time, but in what I’ve seen I can validate that the work they have done is tremendous.
“I have seen some of these clients leave and start building upon the foundations of success that they were able to establish there,” he said.

Francisco believes the most difficult process in recovering from addiction is embracing change and staying strong in that belief of change.

“We try our best to prepare them not just from a therapeutic perspective but also a community based cultural perspective,” he said. “Healing the family starts with the individual knowing that the necessary changes that they instill and implement in their lives will have a profound impact on their families if they allow it to.”

Francisco always looks forward to time spent at the facility during the week, which is Thursday and Friday.

Both facilities follow COVID-19 guidelines and promote social distancing.

Hope and Healing offers clients programs for up to 90 to 180 days. It plans on adding capacity at their current locations following city guidelines.bThey look forward to the possibility of opening a third facility in the coming months.

Hope and Healing accepts most insurance plans, American Indian Health Program, Mercy Care AHCCCS and for tribal contracting options contact MichaelC@AzHopeandHealing.com

Information: azhopeandhealing.com

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