A new $10 million outpatient substance use treatment facility could soon be coming to Stilwell, after the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council approved allocating opioid settlement money to the project Monday evening.
The project will be one of three new facilities run by Cherokee Nation that offer intensive outpatient care, including the tribe's inpatient treatment facility in Tahlequah, which incorporates cultural practices with recovery and will open in 2027.
The proposal for the Stilwell treatment facility was first brought forward by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Bryan Warner, who have both advocated that the money be put toward programs that help Cherokee Nation citizens rebuild after struggling with addiction.
"In 2022, we locked down nearly $100 million in opioid settlement funds to make that industry pay for every single penny of a plan to bring addiction treatment and healing to the Cherokee people," Hoskin said in a press release announcing the request. "We are proposing another great project under that plan."
The largest of 575 federally recognized tribes, Cherokee Nation was the first to sue opioid manufacturers in 2017 for the part the companies played in the opioid crisis. Opioid overdose deaths more than doubled in the counties that make up Cherokee Nation between 2003 and 2014, according to the lawsuit.
The money from the opioid settlements is managed in the tribe's Behavioral Health Capital Fund, which earmarked most of the lawsuit earnings for capital projects relating to behavioral health and drug addiction treatment.
The newly approved 10,000-square-foot outpatient facility will be located on the north side of Stilwell on the Cherokee Nation reservation.
Adair County, where Stilwell is located, was among the counties in Oklahoma with the highest percent of families living below the federal poverty level between 2020 and 2024, according to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. During the same time period, the county had one of the highest drug overdose death rates per capita in Oklahoma.
Outpatient facilities provide treatment for people struggling with substance use disorders while allowing them to remain in their community. Programs typically include individual and group therapy sessions, educational support and medication-assisted treatment to help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Juli Skinner, the senior director of the Cherokee Nation's behavioral health center, said outpatient facilities are an essential part of the tribe's effort to serve people experiencing addiction at all stages.
"No matter where you're at in your journey to recovery, there's going to be a door, a pathway for you," Skinner told KOSU in May.
Bid solicitation for the project will remain open until Nov. 17 and is available on the tribe's bidding site. Plans for the facility were drafted by Childers Architect, a Native American-owned firm.
The project received unanimous support from council members, including Councilor Josh Sam of Stilwell.
"Substance use disorder has impacted far too many families in Adair County, and we know firsthand how important it is to have treatment and recover[y] resources close to home," Sam said. "While our long-term goal should be ensuring these services are accessible throughout the Cherokee Nation reservation, I'm grateful that the urgent needs of our community are being recognized. This $10 million investment is more than a new facility. It's an investment in hope, healing, and a healthier future for our Cherokee family."
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
