Tlingit and Haida launches online tool for addiction treatment and education

Dr. Tina Woods opens the Society Heals internet site on her mobile mobile phone. April 13, 2022. (Picture by Claire Stremple/KTOO)

Tribal citizens in Southeast Alaska who are enduring habit have entry to a new, no cost online therapy. It is known as Culture Heals and it’s available by the new mental overall health application at the Central Council of Tlingit  and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Dr. Tina Woods leads the Council’s Group and Behavioral Overall health Services team. She says the intention is to get rid of boundaries for persons in search of info or treatment.

“Half the struggle with behavioral health is getting able to select the correct words and phrases to explain how you really feel, to describe what you require,” she said. “Culture Heals Habit is a system that will allow men and women with methods all in 1 place to find out about one thing that they could possibly be battling with.”

She claims the Culture Heals instrument addresses concerns that underlie addiction like generational or childhood trauma.

William Andrews joined Dr. Woods’ crew very last year and will direct men’s therapeutic groups. He suggests he got concerned right after treatment with the tribe assisted him via the pandemic. He claims that was the only remedy he could entry mainly because other nearby means have been unavailable.

“I believe this is one particular of the most important factors that we’re doing, as considerably as using leadership in our group, is to enable meet up with unmet requires that not just our citizens, but our community, has,” he reported.

Culture Heals is out there on line and is mobile-welcoming. It has one-way links to information and facts, culturally applicable films and an unexpected emergency hotline.