Inner-Tribal Treatment Breaks Ground on Wellness Village in Southern California

Inner-Tribal Treatment broke ground on the Inner-Tribal Wellness Village at the historical Ahúuya Village site to expand culturally grounded behavioral health and SUD care for Native communities; Phase 1 work has begun with site grading and a pending building permit.

Inner-Tribal Treatment (ITT) has begun construction on the Inner-Tribal Wellness Village at the historical Ahúuya Village site in Southern California. The campus is intended to expand access to culturally grounded behavioral health and substance use disorder care by pairing clinical methods with Indigenous healing practices. Organizers describe the project as rooted in mutual aid and open to people from different tribal affiliations. Phase 1 work is already underway near the property entrance and is following local permitting steps. Project details: - Groundbreaking occurred on Friday for the Inner-Tribal Wellness Village, located on the historical Ahúuya Village site. - Phase 1 is active near the entrance; construction firm KLR is completing the initial building pad and a minor grading permit was secured. - Site inspections are scheduled for Tuesday, after which the project will await final county approvals for the building permit. - The first facility will be about 4,000 square feet and include 24 patient beds (12 for men and 12 for women), two staff rooms for on-site house managers, shared gathering areas, full kitchens, living rooms, and multiple bathrooms. - The full campus is planned to offer a continuum of care including medically managed detoxification, comprehensive case management, and cultural community gathering spaces. - ITT has also developed a mentorship program with colleges and universities to build the Tribal behavioral health workforce and provide culturally grounded clinical training. Summary: The project seeks to expand culturally responsive behavioral health services for Native American communities and is advancing through initial construction and permitting steps. Officials say the next milestone is final county approval of the building permit, after which Phase 1 construction is expected to take about six months.