BOOST program begets treatment facility

The Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together, or BOOST, program seems to have benefitted the CNMI after all with a new treatment facility that caters to drug addiction and mental health issues now underway.

Second Wind, a non-profit organization that received $200,000 from the BOOST program back in October 2022, will soon launch its outpatient treatment facility that will cater to individuals suffering from drug addiction and mental health issues, among other behavioral matters.

The non-profit, which was chartered in 2021 but has been in the works since 2018, has entered the second phase of its inception, which is team building and training. The first phase was hiring individuals who are qualified and passionate in providing the services the CNMI desperately needs.

According to Second Wind founder and therapist Grace Pitu Sablan, the goal is to have a soft opening of the facility in April once trainings have been completed.

Sablan explained that Second Wind is an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment facility that will provide different levels of drug and alcohol treatment, whether it be intensive outpatient or regular outpatient services based on assessment.

“We will [also] partner with Women of Destiny and soon-to-be-chartered Men of Destiny advocacy centers to provide interventions for those out on the streets suffering from addiction,” she said.

The organization’s founder added that the facility will essentially cater to substance abuse, mental health, homelessness, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. She said they also aim to provide these services to the CNMI’s law enforcers.

“We do not have these kinds of services to our front-liners, so we are now also going to target that population to provide mental health services to our law enforcement. We aim to provide the services that are lacking on the island. Our facility will also be providing detox. We don’t have sober homes or safehouses so our organization will also work with the Domestic Violence coalition, Karidat [Social Services], and more to be able to better our services and bring in services that are lacking on island so we don’t have to send them off-island,” she said.

Most importantly, the vision for Second Wind is to have individuals who are in recovery give back by providing services in the facility like counseling as well as hiring highly qualified clinicians to provide optimum care to Second Wind patients.

“Second Wind will also be employing recovery individuals to run the programs Second Wind will provide. Clinicians will be required to have master’s degrees and above in fields like substance abuse, family and individual therapy, or mental health. The treatment center will have highly qualified individuals,” she said.