Supporting Healing, Wholeness,
and Culturally Attuned Care
on Vashon Island
photograph © Ray Pfortner
Thunderbird Treatment Center:
Healing Transformed
In this video, hear from both members of the Seattle Indian Health Board and the Vashon community about why Thunderbird is so needed on Vashon.
Friends of Thunderbird is a group
of Vashon-Maury Island residents organized in support
of the Seattle Indian Health Board’s plan to open
an inpatient residential program on Vashon Island.
We welcome this innovative residential program to our island
because it will help to address a critical need
on both Vashon Island and in the region
and because we believe the Seattle Indian Health Board
will be a good neighbor.
We urge you to welcome them, too.
About Us
Friends of Thunderbird is a local, grassroots organization that has come together to support Seattle Indian Health Board’s new residential program on Vashon. We’re independent island volunteers united by our belief that the Thunderbird Treatment Center is a positive and much-needed response to the opioid crisis gripping our region.
Our advisory board is made up of the following islanders: Joseph Bogaard, Leslie Brown, Patrick Christie, dune aka Cathy deSmet, Debra Gussin, Liz Illg, Shelley Means, Billy Plauche, Janie Starr, Yve Susskind, and Kathryn True.
Many islanders are showing support! Please click to see our full Signature List.
Anyone on Vashon can become a “friend”: Subscribe to receive email updates and action alerts.
Testimonials
Read why some people have chosen to become a Friend of Thunderbird:
“Thanks to the type of traditional practices that will be offered at Thunderbird, I was able to heal from intergenerational trauma and addiction coping mechanisms and re-engage with community service on the island I love. Thunderbird will target the goals of Washington State for Public Health and Safety and I am grateful for the benefits it brings to our community.”
— Jessica Anakar, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline staff, fifth-generation islander
“My unconditional support for this specific treatment center comes from both my personal experience getting sober via a treatment center and having worked with the recovery community for the past 30+ years. The Seattle Indian Health Board is known for its effectiveness and delivery of culturally appropriate healthcare to all who have the honor to utilize their services!”
— Colleen Carette, PA-C, MEd mental health counselor, islander
“Recovery from addiction has impacted my life as a daughter of a heroin addict. Two years ago, I also lost my cousin, my same age, to an overdose. My dad is alive, and we are closer than we have ever been because of his recovery community. Thunderbird will benefit Vashon by expanding and strengthening our recovery community. My dad’s suffering and healing have greatly influenced how I live my life: without shame, without judgement, and with forgiveness. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.”
— Molly Peach Matter, attorney at Amend Law, islander
“Thunderbird’s program helped save my life.”
— Mike Fisher, Seattle Thunderbird Treatment Center graduate and islander, pictured with his wife, Laura
“Everyone understands the heartbreak of addiction and substance abuse. It’s everywhere today, including right here on our island. I welcome this opportunity for our community to be part of the solution by developing a strong partnership with the center and supporting its success.”
— Joseph Bogaard, former president of Water District 19, former Vashon Maury Island Land Trust board member, 25-year island resident
“I can’t imagine a better place to find healing than on Vashon. The beauty, peacefulness, birdsong, forests – all are balm. So, too, is the kindness of this community. I welcome this center to Vashon and look forward to doing what I can to support its life-affirming mission.”
— Leslie Brown, former editor of the Vashon Beachcomber, former Vashon Household board member, 17-year island resident
"I support the Thunderbird Treatment Center as a critical, effective, and life-saving program not only for our native population but also for residents of Vashon and the surrounding region."
— Sarah Day, former public health nurse and school nurse for Vashon, current Vashon Health Care District commissioner, and island resident since 1994.
Please click to read additional words of support from our friends.
Questions & Answers
Select individual questions below,
or click to go to Questions & Answers page
Who is the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB)?
What is SIHB’s history and achievements with treatment in other communities?
When will the Thunderbird Treatment Center open?
Why is this residential program needed in our region? And in our community?
Is SIHB's proposed Thunderbird Treatment Center a permissible use under current King County zoning?
What services will the residential program offer?
Will the treatment center be a psychiatric hospital or provide medical detox?
Is this facility required to be part of a hospital?
Will services be available to non-Indian people?
Will the facility put a strain on Vashon’s emergency and healthcare services?
Was SIHB required to obtain input from the community?
Why is the building not being used for affordable housing?
Will the Thunderbird Treatment Center close the Upper Shinglemill Accessible Trail?
Do you have additional questions? Please click to Send Us A Message