California Addiction Treatment Center Offers Comprehensive Sobriety Programs for Native Americans

Anaheim, California – When Sonny Flor started working for the Lighthouse Treatment Center, a drug and alcohol residential treatment facility in Anaheim, CA, one of his first thoughts was how the center’s advanced programs could really help his fellow Native Americans achieve long-term sobriety.

Flor is part Blackfeet Indian. His mother and grandmother were both born and raised on the reservation in Browning, Montana. Having had to struggle with addiction himself, one of the items in his bucket list when he got sober in August of 1989 was to find a way somehow to help members of Northern Plains Tribes who are also facing substance abuse issues. He discovered that one of the challenges of the Native American people in recovery was the availability of comprehensive programs that could deal with complex addictions.

As Business Development Director for the Lighthouse, Flor broached the idea of creating specialized treatment programs at the treatment center that could cater to the needs of Native Americans. His request was granted and slowly, the Lighthouse started accepting clients referred from The Crow Nation and Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana.

While the treatment programs are individualized to the needs of the clients, the Lighthouse also offers prayer circles and sweat lodges to tribal members entering inpatient treatments at the center. To date, twenty tribal members have already benefited from the program.

Richard L. King III, former Director of the Fort Belknap Chemical Dependency Center in Montana, recalled that the professional and well-staffed environment of the Lighthouse was what impressed him when they first referred some clients to seek treatment.

“I feel that the clients experienced and obtained better treatment in California than in any Montana program. The clients were able to focus more on their treatment journey than they would have in-state. They were not defocusing on their goals in treatment at the Lighthouse. The costs of the programs were also no higher than the costs of the recovery centers in Montana,” King said.

According to Peter Big Hair, Director of The Crow Nation Recovery Center, this initiative has been instrumental in helping Crow tribal members. “We are grateful for the Lighthouse Treatment Center and Sonny’s continued support.”