BAY MILLS — The Bay Mills community is offering a new avenue of support for those battling substance abuse with the opening of a new recovery center.
On Thursday, June 12, the Bay Mills Indian Community hosted the grand opening of the new Ganawenindiwag Recovery Center, located on South Pine Village Road.
The name Ganawenindiwag means “They take care of each other” in Anishinaabemowin. The name was chosen as a way to reflect the core mission of the center, which is to provide a supportive, compassionate environment where individuals can heal and grow.
Renee Johnson, behavioral health director for the Bay Mills Indian Community, has been working towards building this program for years. With help from the Bay Mills Housing Authority and the Bay Mills Health Center, she was able to put their plans into motion last year. Together, these groups provided the funding and space to build and renovate the new center and make it a place people would feel comfortable coming to for help.
The center is operated by a grant from the Michigan State Police called the Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program Grant. The grant is designed to help individuals as well as first responders by reducing the number of people who use opioids and other drugs recreationally.
“The center was designed to create a safe space that is culturally appropriate and carries community-based solutions to substance use and behavioral health challenges. The center will focus on offering holistic services that support long-term sobriety, emotional wellness and spiritual growth,” said Bay Mills President Whitney Gravelle.
The building is made up of two offices, a dining room, kitchen, bathroom, storage and more to make people feel comfortable and at home. Hygiene and harm reduction products as well as food will be available to patients.
People who are staying at the center will be able to attend events such as game night, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, counseling sessions and other activities to make them feel more at home and to help with their recovery.
The goal is for the center to be a hub of peer-to-peer support and to foster community connections, which is a critical part of the recovery process.
“The Ganawenindiwag Recovery Center is a testament to this belief and represents a significant step forward in the community’s ongoing efforts to provide hope, healing and support,” said Gravelle.
The center is open and is accepting tribal and non-tribal community members. People are not required to have previously been a patient of the health center or need a referral in order to be admitted into the program.
The center is open beginning at noon Monday through Saturday, and will be staffed by two people at all times who are ready to meet people as they come in. Staffing may increase over time.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Bay Mills unveils new Ganawenindiwag Recovery Center
Reporting by Brendan Wiesner, Sault Ste. Marie News / The Sault News
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