Tribal Nations and Urban Indian Health Centers in Montana have consistently identified the need for residential treatment in communities for nearly twenty years. Calls for these services have only grown louder as the opioid epidemic continues in Montana, and tribal communities face more targeted distribution. This epidemic has only worsened historical trauma and cyclical poverty for American Indians in Montana.
Hospital discharge data from 2017-2021 showed that American Indians are 78% more likely to visit the emergency room due to drug overdose than whites, but they are less likely to be hospitalized. It also indicates that American Indian patients have lower hospitalization rates than others. Finally, data reveal that approximately 400 American Indians are eligible for higher-level residential treatment, while 200 could benefit from medically managed withdrawal annually.