By Joe Morey
News Editor
The LCO Tribal Governing Board (TGB) approved $145,000 for a block of ten tribal members to get treatment services at the Magnolia Ranch Recovery center in Tennessee. The funds will come from 3rd Party Billing revenue at the LCO Health Center.
Todd Meinburg, Director of Admissions for Magnolia, proposed the block of ten to the TGB at their weekly meeting on Monday, Feb. 24. He explained the cost of $14,500 per resident as being half the cost of what the Tribe has paid for services in nearby treatment centers. The tribal members who would be served through this funding would be members who don’t have insurance.
Meinburg also said aftercare is very important with Magnolia, unlike other treatment centers that give your client 28 days and then send them back into the same environment they came from.
“It’s really tough to return someone back to their home community when the release is actually just the beginning of their recovery,” Meinburg stated. “We set them up with volunteer sponsors and follow through with intensive outpatient care. I’ll find a sober family member no matter what, even if it has to be a distant aunt or uncle, I’ll find them that sober relative for support.”
Meinburg went on to say after care is a massive component of any treatment plan. “You have to have support of family. I do everything humanly possible to find them a sober place to go. We have a 100% placement rate.”
The Magnolia Ranch website states, “The primary purpose behind our aftercare program is to provide continuous treatment to individuals who have recently completed residential treatment and are either continuing their journey with step-down treatment options or beginning to re-assimilate back into society. Our aftercare program offers support, guidance, and ongoing follow-up care in order to ensure that each resident is continuing on the path towards long-term sobriety.”
Meinburg said in the corporate world of treatment centers, they take someone who’s Native and take the Tribe’s money and then dump them back on your doorstep. “At Magnolia, we do three years of aftercare follow up.”
The website also states, “Aftercare comes highly recommended as a part of the standard ‘Treatment Model’ of comprehensive recovery. This model has proven extremely successful as residents continue receiving professional therapeutic advice while being held accountable for the progression and general achievement of a fully functional, drug-free lifestyle.”
Mark Stoner, St. Croix Tribal Member and former addict, has been working with Magnolia and his own programs at St. Croix to help reduce jail recidivism and addiction recovery explained how important the aftercare in recovery is. He said he works with inmates on a program called First Day Out, where he goes into the jails and meets with inmates as they are preparing to be released. He is there to pick them up, help them to stop doing drugs and to help them repair relationships.
Meinburg said he currently has four direct referrals at Magnolia from LCO. In just the past two weeks he’s had five calls from LCO tribal members inquiring about Magnolia Ranch.
“I have people who are calling and I send them back to the Tribe’s mental health department and when they call, I can act on it. I can assess and know if they are appropriate and have them on their way to treatment within an hour,” Meinburg stated.
Meinburg also explained that at Magnolia, they don’t overmedicate. “We don’t want them foggy so they can’t focus and we don’t want them addicted to something else.”
Stoner added that by having a group of ten from the Tribe, they can support each other in their recovery.
Meinburg also said at Magnolia, they use different treatment methods, such as, they service many tribal members from other reservations and they use culture and spirituality in the treatment. For example, at Magnolia, they do have a sweat lodge.
The website states as their Mission, “Here at Magnolia Ranch Recovery alcohol and drug treatment programs is to provide supportive, compassionate, and customized care to those who suffer with a drug or alcohol addiction. We believe each client can be treated while determining the underlying core problems related to their addiction. By doing so, we can help them heal spiritually, mentally, and physically. We strive to instill the recovery tools needed to help each resident achieve and sustain long-term recovery.”
Recovering addicts attend Council Meeting with Meinburg of Magnolia Ranch. From L-R) are Mark Stoner, Todd Meinburg, Donald Fairbanks and Trent Trepania.
Meinburg and Stoner talk with the TGB while AODA counseling students from the LCO Ojibwe College watch (along left wall) and Diane McNamer and Gary Hilgendorf wait to discuss the Pathways to Hope shelter with the TGB. Also participating in the discussions is Sue Aasen, coordinator of the Healing and Wellness Court.