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Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness purchase home for indigenous women’s recovery

Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness purchase home for indigenous women’s recovery

Collaboration with Passamaquoddy Tribe on first indigenous women’s recovery home in Maine

5/5/2022. Bangor, ME – Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township, has finalized the purchase of a home in Bangor, destined to be the first indigenous women’s recovery home in Maine.

“We have a responsibility to the women – the mothers, the daughters, sisters, and friends – in our community to provide healing, safe places where they can recover,” said Passamaquoddy Chief William Nicholas Sr., of Indian Township.

The home, scheduled to open late May of 2022, will provide recovery services for up to 12 indigenous women. Part of the WPHW’s recovery campus in Bangor and Millinocket, the home will provide a safe, substance-free, and culturally healing living environment for indigenous women who are ready to transition away from a life of substance use, allowing them to develop meaningful and independent lives.

“I am grateful to partner with Chief Nicholas to establish this home for women who are ready to start their healing journey. We have a place for them, and we will be with them every step of the way,” said Lisa Sockabasin, Co-CEO of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness.

The women’s home is a six-bedroom house that will provide recovery housing for indigenous women from the Wabanaki communities throughout Maine. Similar to the WPHW recovery home for men, there will be on-site staff and culturally aligned services that include relationship building, a recovery program, peer support, indigenous nutrition and wellness education, counseling, and other support services.

“This is something we need. When we lose our connection to our culture, we lose our ability to heal. Women’s healing and recovery is a critical need in our community and it’s important to me. My heart is called to invest in and support rebuilding the connection to traditional indigenous healing and ceremony,” added Nicholas.

The women’s recovery home is taking applications for residency.