Cherokee Nation to break ground on adult drug treatment center near Tahlequah

WHAT:
Cherokee Nation leaders will gather to break ground on a new state-of-the-art adult drug treatment center.

WHEN:
Thursday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.

WHERE:
16670 W. 820 Road
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

WHO:
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner
Council of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation Health Services leaders

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Leaders of the Cherokee Nation will gather Thursday to break ground on a new state-of-the-art adult drug treatment center near Tahlequah, the first of $76 million worth of capital projects the tribe is undertaking to help Cherokee struggling with substance abuse or misuse.

The 19,000-square-foot facility will provide comprehensive and culturally based treatment services for drug addiction for Cherokee citizens via group and individual counseling, peer support services, care management, Cherokee cultural activities, and more.

"This is one of our most meaningful and needed projects," said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. "Under the Cherokee Nation Public Health and Wellness Fund Act, we locked down opioid settlement dollars and committed them to healing. This is the first of the capital projects that will ultimately help Cherokee citizens, families and communities heal by addressing substance abuse."

In February 2023, the Cherokee Nation unveiled plans for the treatment center to be located in the Park Hill area of Tahlequah.

The Public Health and Wellness Fund Act of 2021, amended most recently in 2023, dedicates $100 million in settlement funds from opioid and e-cigarette lawsuits for a variety of public health programs, including $76 million for drug treatment capital projects.

In conjunction with the groundbreaking event, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. will sign a proclamation to proclaim Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day in the Cherokee Nation.