Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) announced the grand opening of the Ernie Turner Center on Eklutna Lake Road in Chugiak with a ribbon cutting and open house event for the new 16-bed residential treatment facility.

Made possible through a partnership with Eklutna, Inc. and Cook Inlet Housing Authority, the 11,526-square-foot center is located on a serene six-acre tract near Eklutna Village and features an arts and crafts area, a carving room, and a fitness center. The location allows for outdoor recreational and wellness activities including hiking, horseback riding, and gardening, as well as culturally relevant amenities, such as a therapeutic sweat lodge.

The center will serve all individuals with addictions and/or mental health disorders recommended for inpatient treatment, as well as those experiencing chronic homelessness related to substance use.

The Therapeutic Village of Care model is an alcohol- and drug-free residential structure in which people live together in an organized and supportive way to promote personal change and achieve long-term sobriety.

During a six-month stay, participants receive mental health and substance-abuse counseling, group therapy, and case management services within an extended family environment.

Influenced by the traditional hierarchy of an Alaska Native village, the model promotes long-term recovery success where residents serve as facilitators and fulfill distinctive traditional roles in a peer-to-peer structure.

In the village philosophy, sobriety involves the whole person, and spiritual needs are a critical part of an individual’s recovery. Through daily work therapy, participants gain valuable skills for independent living.

Complementing recently launched services in Wasilla, the new center will serve as a hub for CITC’s recovery support by bridging Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley.

 The grand opening for the facility will be on Thursday from 2 to 4 pm at 30881 Eklutna Lake Road, Chugiak (mile 2.2

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