At Aliya Native American Program, we provide culturally sensitive treatment for American Indians and Alaska Natives struggling with substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and mental health conditions. Formerly known as Aliya, our program has grown into a specialized treatment facility and recovery center that blends traditional healing practices with modern behavioral health therapies.
Our treatment centers are more than just places for care—they are spaces where Native American culture, identity, and community health are honored throughout the treatment process. By incorporating both Native American traditional practices and research-based care, we offer a treatment experience that restores balance in body, mind, and spirit.
Honoring Culture in Treatment
The Aliya curriculum emphasizes traditional native and cultural and spiritual healing practices that have guided Indigenous people for generations. patients may participate in sweat lodges, talking circles, storytelling, and the Red Road to Wellbriety, a framework created by White Bison to support sobriety and cultural reconnection. These practices strengthen recovery and create lasting connections to tradition and identity.
We also acknowledge the impact of boarding school trauma and historical disconnection, and we integrate education, cultural support, and Indigenous teachings into the recovery process. By walking the Red Road, patients rediscover pride in heritage while building new coping skills for recovery.
Comprehensive Treatment Programs
Every client’s journey is unique, which is why our treatment programs provide a continuum of care through both adult programs and outpatient programs. Levels of care include:
- Detox Program – Medically supported services to manage withdrawal from alcohol and drug use.
- Residential Treatment – Immersive addictions treatment in a structured, supportive environment rooted in both modern therapies and traditional healing.
- Partial Hospitalization & Outpatient Programs – Flexible care that allows patients to continue work, family, or cultural responsibilities while participating in structured recovery.
- Continuing Care & Recovery Programs – Long-term support through alumni services, community-based groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, and ongoing substance abuse treatment resources.
Our treatment facility also functions as a wellness center, providing whole-person healing and emphasizing lifelong recovery.
Integrating Tradition with Evidence-Based Care
Our curriculum brings together traditional healing and modern therapy. patients may engage in behavioral health approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma-informed counseling, alongside Native American traditional practices. This balance allows us to address the root causes of substance abuse, treat alcohol and drug dependency, and support individuals through co-occurring disorders.
Through collaboration with Indian Health systems, tribal leaders, and cultural advisors, we ensure our program reflects the lived experiences of American Indians and Alaska Natives while offering proven clinical effectiveness.
Understanding Trauma, Substance Use, and Native Wellness
For many Native people, substance use is closely tied to trauma—both personal experiences and the larger harms carried across generations. Colonization, forced removal, boarding schools, outlawing of ceremonies, and the breaking apart of families have had lasting impacts on community health. These histories can show up today as grief, disconnection, anxiety, depression, and a deep sense of loss—especially when combined with ongoing stressors like racism, poverty, housing instability, or limited access to care.
Trauma can shape how the brain and body respond to stress. Some people turn to alcohol or drugs to sleep, to numb painful memories, to calm fear, or to feel “normal” for a moment. Over time, that coping strategy can become dependence—especially when a person is also carrying unresolved grief, violence, or family disruption. This doesn’t mean Native people are “more prone” to addiction by nature. It means many communities have faced disproportionate exposure to trauma and fewer barriers to sustained, culturally safe treatment.
Healing works best when it addresses the whole person. Native-centered, trauma-informed care recognizes that recovery is not only about stopping substances—it’s also about rebuilding safety, restoring identity, and reconnecting to culture, community, and purpose. When people are supported with respect, consistency, and culturally grounded practices, recovery can become a path back to balance: emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
A Shared Duty to Protect Our Relatives: MMIW
In many Tribal communities, the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit relatives—often referred to as MMIW or MMIWG2S—remains an urgent and heartbreaking reality. Families and Nations continue to search for loved ones who have gone missing, been taken, or whose cases have not received the attention, resources, or follow-through they deserve. This is more than a policing issue. It reflects longstanding patterns of displacement, gaps in systems meant to protect people, and a history of Indigenous lives being treated as less important.
For Native people, MMIW is not an abstract concept—it affects everyday life. It influences how families look out for one another, how communities respond to danger, and how grief is carried and expressed. Honoring MMIW means amplifying the voices of families, supporting Tribal and community-led efforts, and affirming—without exception—that every Indigenous person deserves safety, justice, and respect.
How MMIW Intersects With Healing and Recovery
Substance use is often connected to what people have lived through. Many individuals who enter treatment are carrying trauma—whether it comes from their own experiences, their family history, or the broader impacts of colonization and ongoing violence. The MMIW crisis can intensify fear, sorrow, and unresolved loss, which can weigh heavily on mental health and a person’s ability to feel secure. When a loved one disappears or is harmed, the entire family system can be shaken, and the stress can show up as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and complicated grief—factors that can increase the risk of harmful coping or relapse.
Culturally rooted care recognizes that recovery involves more than the individual. Healing may include grieving in community, rebuilding a sense of safety, reconnecting to identity, and strengthening support from relatives and trusted helpers. When treatment honors culture, language, tradition, and belonging—while addressing trauma with compassion—people are more able to heal in a way that supports long-term wellness.
Creating Treatment Spaces Where People Feel Protected and Seen
In Indigenous communities, safety is more than locked doors and policies—it’s the feeling of being respected and believed. Programs that serve Native people can support women, girls, and Two-Spirit relatives by building environments that are trauma-informed, confidential, and attentive to risk. That might include safety planning, healthy relationship education, support around housing and transportation, and strong boundaries that protect clients from exploitation.
Cultural reconnection can strengthen resilience. For many people, healing deepens through teachings, community support, land-based activities, language, or ceremony (as appropriate to the person and community). These practices can remind clients who they are, where they come from, and that they deserve to be safe.
A Path to Healing
The treatment experience at Aliya is guided by community, culture, and connection. Every aspect of our program is designed to respect Native traditions while offering the tools needed for long-term sobriety and wellness. Whether in a detox program, residential treatment, or outpatient programs, patients are supported by a compassionate center provider team who understands the unique challenges faced by Indians and Alaska Natives.
Begin Your Recovery Journey
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol and drug misuse, know that healing is possible. At Aliya Native American Program, our curriculum blends traditional healing practices, recovery programs, and research-based care to create a path toward wholeness.
Take the first step today—walk the Red Road to recovery with Aliya.