{"id":26253,"date":"2022-07-18T01:29:05","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T05:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=26253"},"modified":"2022-07-18T01:29:05","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T05:29:05","slug":"bill-affecting-native-youth-treatment-center-nears-passage-in-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/07\/18\/bill-affecting-native-youth-treatment-center-nears-passage-in-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill affecting Native youth treatment center nears passage in Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"California\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tCalifornia Area Indian Health Service – Youth Regional Treatment Centers\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Learn more about California Area Indian Health Service’s two Youth Regional Treatment Centers – the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center and the Sacred Oaks Hea…<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"YouTube\"\t\tYouTube\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
Indian Health Service: California Area Indian Health Service – Youth Regional Treatment Centers<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
Bill affecting Native youth treatment center nears passage in Congress<\/div>\r\n
Monday, July 18, 2022<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nA bill to address long-standing access issues at a Native youth treatment facility<\/a> is almost across the finish line in the 117th Congress.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nS.144<\/a>, the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center Access Improvement Act, is due to be considered under a suspension of the rules in the U.S. House of Representatives<\/a> on Monday, according to the Majority Leader’s calendar<\/a>. The measure authorizes the Indian Health Service<\/a> to acquire private land and build a permanent road to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center<\/a> in Hemet, California.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nApproval in the chamber means S.144 can be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature. The U.S. Senate<\/a> already passed the bill over a year ago, on May 26, 2021.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cBy passing this bill the Senate has helped ensure that Desert Sage patients will have access to the care they need,\u201d said Sen. Dianne Feinstein<\/a> (D-California), the sponsor of S.144. \u201cThe old dirt road that currently leads to the facility keeps washing out in the rain. Our bill will fix the road and pave it so patients can safely travel to the treatment center.”\r\n

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The Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center is located in Hemet, California. Photo: Indian Health Service<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe House version of the measure is H.R.667<\/a>. The sponsor is Rep. Raul Ruiz<\/a> (D-California).\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cAs the only IHS Youth Regional Treatment Center in California, the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center provides crucial services to support our Native youth and build strong communities in our region and around the state,\u201d said Dr. Ruiz. \u201cIt is unacceptable that there is no paved access to this facility.” \r\n

<\/P>\r\nAccording to the IHS, the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center<\/a> offers 32 beds for co-ed residential treatment for American Indian and Alaska Native youth between the ages of 12 and 17.\r\nThe facility has been impacted by access issues ever since operations began almost five years ago.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“Since October 2017, the IHS California Area Office continues to perform regularly scheduled maintenance every other month including grading and backfilling low areas with gravel,” the IHS said in written testimony<\/a> when the bill was considered during a prior session of Congress. “Emergency work is also done on an as-needed basis after major storm events.”\r\n

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