SITKA, March 26, 2013 — On April 30, 2013, SEARHC will be closing the doors of the Bill Brady Healing Center (BBHC) in Sitka. The reason is financial, due to the Federal budget cuts, primarily the sequestration that occurred earlier this month.

SEARHC has a long history of providing drug and alcohol treatment; in 1996 the program was organized into its current form, a 40-45 day residential treatment program in Sitka serving Alaska Natives and American Indians.

“We’ve had to anticipate about $3.5 million in reduced spending over the next six months,” said Charles Clement, President/CEO of SEARHC. He continues, “Over the past weeks, we’ve been working hard with the Board of Directors to determine how and what we should be doing different in order to meet this projected cut in the funding that instantly effects our budget. Almost every area SEARHC has been affected and the closing of BBHC is one of the hardest hits to the organization.”

“SEARHC believes that such a program as BBHC is important to those in need, but in its current form, the Bill Brady Healing Center is not financially viable,” said Clement. In the meantime, several BBHC employees will be moved to other departments, or put on furlough, and a few will be let go.

Management, along with the BBHC lead staff will be exploring ways to reinvent the program to make it more self-sustaining. The expectation is to reopen this revamped service line in the coming fiscal year.