Note: The following website is a fictitious account of an alcohol treatment center. The American Indian Research Opportunities
(AIRO) program chose this format as an innovative way to educate and inform our
audience of alcohol abuse, its possible causes/effects, and resources available
for those who may need help in their struggle against alcoholism. As we understand, chemical dependency
counselors practice utmost confidentiality with their clients and files,
therefore; our presentation of client files is used explicitly as an
educational tool for us to present that information.
Oki! (Blackfeet) Ha-ba! (N.Arapaho male) Doce! (N. Arapaho female) Shodah! (Crow) Tansi (tahn-say)! (Cree) Ya'eeh t'eh! (Navajo) Hau! (Sioux)
Hau Koda! (Assiniboine-Sioux
male) Han,
Mikona! (Assiniboine-Sioux
female) ?e, xest sxlxalt (Salish-Kootenai) Wa-hey! (Gros Ventre male) Nah-ha! (Gros Ventre female)
Hello!
Welcome to Yellow Creek Treatment Center. My name is Maggie White Eagle, and I
am the new director of the
center. Let me give you some background information about the center and
myself. I am from the Siksika Nation of Alberta, Canada. I’m fairly new to the
facility; I’ve been here for about 2 months now. I received my master’s from
the University of Montana and did my 200 hours of contact time here in Montana.
I am a C.C.D.C (Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor) and I am certified
under the Northwest Indian Alcohol/Drug Specialist Certification Board, and
N.A.A.D.A.C. (National
Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors). I chose to work here at
the Yellow Creek Treatment Center because of the wide spectrum of treatments
and wide range of counselor perspectives. They all have one thing in common: To
help those who are in need of help. That is the most important feature of this
facility: our clients.
The Yellow Creek Treatment Center has been around for 15 years. We are located outside of Great Falls, Montana. This site was chosen because the location is near some of the reservations of Montana. A majority of our clients are Native American, but we help non-natives as well. Our facility has a wide variety of treatments or help, for all our clients. They range from original talking circles to unique cultural treatments, depending on the client’s therapy. Yellow Creek’s clientele ranges from young adolescents to adult men and women. Our counseling staff is also unique in training and personalities. Some are fairly new and there are those who have been with Yellow Creek since its infancy. Our counselors are both natives and non-natives from all over the United States.
Now that I have given you background information about the center and myself, let's take a look at some files of some clients and their process with the counselors here at the center. Every story is unique in its own way, but all have a similar theme: the impact of alcoholism in their lives. I am truly looking forward to and excited to work here at Yellow Creek Treatment Center. Not only with my fellow counselors but also with clients. Let's get to work!
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