Center Providing Medical, Drug, Alcohol Services To American Indians In Wisconsin Temporarily Closes

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 17 Jan 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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The Green Bay, Wisc.-based United Amerindian Center -- which provides medical services, transportation, and no-cost drug and alcohol counseling to any American Indian who lives outside reservation land -- has temporarily shut down because of a lack of funding, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports.

Center Director Stephen Crowe said, "We've cut back wages, services ... whatever I could do to keep it open longer, we've done it. But we ran out of money." Crowe has requested emergency funding from a Connecticut American Indian tribe and also is waiting to hear on a grant request submitted to the Oneida Tribe of Indians. He said, "It's just a matter of time before the grants get approved. I can't even justify thinking of closing this place on a long-term basis."

The center has encountered funding reductions several times in 2007 and has experienced turnover in its administrative positions and on its board of directors, according to the Press Gazette.

Indian Health Service last year terminated its contract with the center, and as a result, the center reduced its hours and services in May 2007. With a $100,000 donation from the Oneida Tribe of Indians, the center restored its services in June. IHS in October 2007 approved a contract with the not-for-profit America's Dream Inc. to run the Native American Services Center in Green Bay. That center is close in proximity to and provides similar services as the United Amerindian Center (Jagannathan, Green Bay Press Gazette, 1/15).

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