Who is the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB)?

 

Seattle Indian Health Board is an Urban Indian Organization, Federally Qualified Health Center, and Community Health Center that provides health and human services to its patients, while specializing in the care of Native people. SIHB is recognized as a leader in the promotion of health improvement for urban American Indians and Alaska Natives, locally and nationally. Please click About the Seattle Indian Health Board for more information.

 

What is SIHB’s history and achievements with treatment in other communities?

 

SIHB has been providing community-focused, culturally attuned care in the broader King County area for more than 50 years, including more than 30 years operating an inpatient treatment program out of South Seattle without incident. Today, SIHB operates clinics in the International District, Pioneer Square, and Lake City, as well as a mobile clinic.

 

When will the Thunderbird Treatment Center open?

 

2025

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Why is this residential program needed in our region? And in our community? 

 

The opioid epidemic has reached alarming levels. According to King County, 318 people died from drugs or alcohol in 2013. Last year — a decade later — that number had jumped nearly 300 percent: 1,339 people in King County lost their lives in 2023 due to drug overdoses or alcohol poisoning, fentanyl and other opioids being the lead cause. 

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At the same time, there remains a significant gap in access to comprehensive treatment services for those struggling with addiction, both in King County and on Vashon Island. Countywide, there are currently only 148 inpatient beds. This shortage in addiction treatment is also felt on Vashon Island, where there are no inpatient beds and few substance use disorder providers, according to the 2021 Vashon Youth & Family Services Behavioral Health Needs Assessment. 

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The Thunderbird Treatment Center will address these needs, providing the kind of intensive, inpatient care people need to achieve and sustain recovery. More specifically, here’s what the an inpatient treatment center will offer the community:

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• Comprehensive Care: Inpatient facilities offer a structured environment where residents can receive a variety of services from experienced health professionals. This holistic approach is vital for addressing the multifaceted nature of addiction.

• Reduced Overdose Deaths: By providing more opportunities to access inpatient beds and treatment, the risk of fatal overdoses is significantly lowered.

• Improved Outcomes: Studies show that individuals who go through a residential program are more likely to achieve long-term sobriety compared to those who receive outpatient care alone.

• Community Benefits: Effective treatment can reduce crime rates, decrease the burden on emergency services, and improve overall community health and safety.

• Economic Benefits: The costs of addiction to our healthcare systems and the costs of responding to addiction through arrest, prosecution, and incarceration are astronomical. Inpatient treatment is fiscally responsible.

 

Is SIHB's proposed Thunderbird Treatment Center a permissible use under current King County zoning?

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Yes. There’s been confusion over this issue. Here’s the current status, according to King County permitting officials and news accounts in The Beachcomber: 

• The Seattle Indian Health Board has applied for a permit to open a Community Residential Facility at 15333 Vashon Hwy SW, a permissible use at that location under current zoning laws. SIHB's permit is pending before the county’s Permitting Division. No change to the zoning laws is needed for this process. The current code—approved by the County Council 10 years ago—will govern the county’s decision.

• Jim Chan, director of the county’s Permitting Division, explained it this way in an email: “The King County Permitting Division is processing a building permit application (ADDC24-0147) to authorize the operation of a Community Residential Facility at 15333 Vashon Hwy SW. Said permit application was submitted by the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) on March 5, 2024, and deemed complete on April 3, 2024, and is currently under review.”

• Meanwhile, in a process totally separate from the county’s permit review of the treatment center, the County Council is updating the 2024 comprehensive land-use plan for all of unincorporated King County (Vashon is a part of that). This update occurs every 10 years and began last year. This is a public and transparent process.

 

What services will the residential program offer?

 

Thunderbird will provide culturally attuned services and programming for people seeking to heal from substance use disorder. Thunderbird will offer a 45-day intensive inpatient treatment program (American Society of Addiction Medicine 3.1 and 3.5) where residents have access to behavioral health professionals, Traditional Indian Medicine experts, counselors, and support staff. Residents will also have access to high-end amenities, including luxury rooms, a cultural healing space, an outdoor traditional garden, kitchen, and customized community and counseling spaces.

 

Thunderbird will be offering a very unique component to its programming. Fifteen beds will be allocated in a wing of the facility for pregnant or parenting adults, where they will have the opportunity to still be with their children as they complete the program. This is modeled after a program in Oakland, California, which has a decades-long history of success.

 

How will this residential program be different from other kinds of services for people with substance use disorders?

 

SIHB treats all of its patients like family, which is why they refer to them as “relatives.” They care for relatives in the Native way, meaning they provide culturally attuned, holistic services that treat the mind, body, spirit, and environment equally.

 

Will the treatment center be a psychiatric hospital or provide medical detox?

No. Under county code, hospitals provide diagnostic services. The treatment center will provide supportive services, including counseling, rehabilitation, and medical supervision, all of which is allowed in a Community Residential Facility under county code.

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Is this facility required to be part of a hospital?

No.  According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria, the facility will operate at ASAM Level 3.1 and 3.5, which is the residential services level.

 

Will services be available to non-Indian people?

 

Yes. While SIHB specializes in the care of American Indians and Alaska Natives, the organization serves everyone.

 

Will the facility put a strain on Vashon’s emergency and healthcare services?

 

Comparatively speaking, Thunderbird Treatment Center will have less reliance on Vashon's emergency services than the former Vashon Community Care facility located at that site. While not a hospital, TTC will have medical staff onsite to address immediate access to care, preventative care and monitoring, and specialized support. All of this results in fewer emergency calls and hospital visits.

 

In addition Thunderbird will complement and support the current emergency and healthcare services on Vashon by filling a gap in the services available to families on the Island.

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Was SIHB required to obtain input from the community?

 

No, but SIHB has attended numerous Vashon community meetings and met directly with residents who have had questions about the facility.

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Why is the building not being used for affordable housing?

 

According to news stories in The Beachcomber, after VCC closed its doors at the end of 2021, Vashon HouseHold, which develops low-income and affordable housing, toured the site to see if it could be used for affordable housing. The organization decided that it was not feasible without a partner using other parts of the facility. “At this time, our organization would not be in a position to purchase a large property such as VCC or K2 on our own,” Jason Johnson, Vashon HouseHold’s executive director, told the Beachcomber in April 2023. “We would need to work in partnership with local community organizations and individuals to build or acquire future housing at that scale.”

 

Sea Mar and the Vashon Health Care District also took a look at the site to see if it could become a primary care facility but decided it was not financially feasible. 

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Will the Thunderbird Treatment Center close the Upper Shinglemill Accessible Trail?

 

No. The trail will remain open during construction and after the center is open. There will be a fence and gate behind the center where there is currently hurricane fencing.

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How can I help?

 

Please click visit our “HOW TO HELP” page.

 

Do you have additional questions? Please click to Send Us An Email​

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