White Buffalo Youth Treatment Centre

White Buffalo Treatment Centre is a 10 bed residential facility located on Muskoday First Nations 15 minutes South East of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The Treatment Centre is one of 10 facilities located across Canada funded under the National Youth Solvent Abuse Policy (NYSAP) with a mandate of providing both residential and outreach services for female youth experiencing difficulties related to abuse of inhalants, drugs and alcohol as well as associated addictions and mental health needs. The treatment centre was established in 1996 and has a proven history of providing quality services that are innovative in nature, are research based “best practices” and has maintained Accreditation endorsement since 1999. The treatment centre accepts gender specific placements of female youth between the ages of 12-17 years.

About WBTC Treatment Program

White Buffalo Treatment Centre is a 4 month residential program that is culturally based, family oriented and has the amenities for a pleasant and conducive treatment experience. The program provides intensive casework and group sessions to review individual problems and uncovers existing strengths. The philosophy is that it is equally important to integrate relaxation, recreation, life-skills, formal education and cultural activities into a positive therapeutic, interdisciplinary treatment model.

The program is based on a holistic treatment model and incorporates the four cornerstones of treatment, Spiritual, Emotional, Mental, and Physical. The Resiliency Model forms the premise for the concept of “living therapy” where by treatment is integrated into all interactions in which the youth participate. The youth learn to integrate the 7 components of the Resiliency Model into their daily interactions (morality, humour, initiative, insight, relationships, independence, and creativity). The use of culture as a foundation in programming allows the female youth to redevelop their identity and emphasises their role in becoming First Nations women. Cultural integration includes the use of Elders who share traditional knowledge; deliver teachings and conduct ceremonial activities. A “Land Based” program is an offsite venue that fosters a connection to nature and creation as an innovative healing approach. Adding to the array of treatment modalities is the “Equine Assisted Learning” program which is research based and provides diversity in program affect.

A complimentary feature of the White Buffalo program is the extensive prevention, early intervention, post treatment supports and mobile treatment services that are offered through the Outreach component. An expanded Outreach mandate is to deliver an education/awareness/ preventative campaign regarding the Prescription Drugs Abuse population health impact on the First Nations population in Northern Saskatchewan.

White Buffalo Treatment Centre has embraced Research activity in order to give evidence that certain treatment approaches can be adopted as a Best Practice. Publications stemming from the Equine Research project is The Helping Horse: How Equine Assisted Learning Contributes to the Wellbeing of First Nations Youth in Treatment of Volatile Substance Misuse and the other research Culture as Intervention in Addictions Treatment resulted in development of a Native Wellness Assessment tool (see WBTC Articles).

Quality Control entails achieving Accreditation Awards as a validation of standards concurrence and use of Performance Measurement instruments that include the conducting of Staff and Client satisfaction surveys.