By Kyle Mittan, University Public Relations Department

Wednesday

Research at the University of Arizona will help Tucson’s substance use treatment center expand its program with the goal of becoming a go-to resource for recovering Native American women.

New Dawn-Warrior Women, a project led by the University of Arizona Southwest Women’s Instituteto help expand the range of existing services. native ways program, operated by The Haven, a treatment center for women in Midtown Tucson. The Native Ways program embraces Native American culture and traditions while helping Native American clients recover from drug use.

This institute, known as SIROW, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences Its mission is to address social and public health issues to improve the well-being of women and girls.

A $1.1 million grant from the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will support the Women of the New Dawn Warriors over the next three years. Brenda GranilloAssociate Research Social Scientist at SIROW, is the principal investigator of this project.

With this grant, which began in September 2022, The Haven will fund the hiring of a program manager and additional therapists, and strengthen its reach across Arizona’s 22 federal governments, helping native Granillo said it was able to expand the Waze program to a further 135 customers. recognized tribe.

SIROW has a long-standing partnership with The Haven to provide harm reduction services, evaluate the center’s programs, and provide research-backed feedback to improve program offerings and reach. said Granillo.

Granillo said it was clear there was a need to help women recover from drug use in particular, and Pima County has only four women-specific recovery programs, two of which are run by The Haven. pointed out that it was provided. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2022, the county’s population exceeded 1 million, of whom 50.5% (about 534,000) were women.

Granillo, who has spent his career working with tribal communities on public health emergency preparedness and response, needs to tailor the most effective recovery program to each client, including their culture and traditions. said.

“There was a need for Native Ways because the women who enrolled in The Haven’s services would come and go for days because their cultural practices were not linked to treatment,” said Granillo. Told. “That led to the question, ‘Why are we missing the target here?'”

Drug overdose mortality is particularly high in Native American communities. December report According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, non-Hispanic Native Americans and Alaskan Natives had the highest drug overdose death rates in 2020 and 2021. Their mortality rate was 42.5 per 100,000 in 2020 and 56.6 per 100,000 in 2021. By comparison, the infection rate among whites was 33.1 per 100,000 in 2020 and 36.8 per 100,000 in 2021.

The Native Ways program offers both residential and outpatient care, allowing clients to receive care while living on The Haven campus or in their own homes. It also offers temporary housing, a temporary arrangement that helps homeless people find permanent housing.

Clients in this program receive treatments that are culturally tailored to Native Americans, incorporating traditional Native American rituals and customs. This may include smudging (the burning of sacred herbs such as sage) and other blessing ceremonies. Staff members of this program are substance abuse service professionals who specifically serve Native Americans.

“We are extremely excited about our partnership with SIROW,” said Amy Graves, President and CEO of The Haven. “The Haven is committed to meeting the needs of our communities by leveraging our multi-sectoral partners. We recognize the need for substance use treatment programs to create spaces where people feel like they are in. This is great.” Please look. I look forward to seeing what happens over the next two years. ”

This grant will also enable SIROW to deliver its results. Providing sexual health education Provided to Native Ways, program customers will have free access to Pima County STD testing services. There are also plans to create an alumni program that pairs current Native Ways participants with those who have experienced the program to provide peer support.

“As a public land-grant research university in a state with 22 federally recognized tribes, the University of Arizona will respect the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and partner with them in ways that serve their students and communities. There are responsibilities and commitments,” said the University of Arizona.President of Arizona Robert C. Robbins. “Dr. Granillo and her team are proud to be part of the effort to support Indigenous women on the road to recovery in a way that recognizes and respects their unique culture and traditions. One is to enrich the lives of all.” And this piece is a great example of how we do that. ”

Looking ahead to the next three years of grant funding, Granillo said that The Haven and Native Ways programs are the first resources that come to mind when indigenous women in Arizona need help with substance abuse recovery. said he hopes

“Success for me is that Aboriginal women from all tribes across the state quickly learn that The Haven offers these services,” she said.