Tribal reps bring input to addiction forum

WASHINGTON -- North Segment Councilwoman Dr. Monica Mayer of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation), along with Teliea Baker, director of The Door Resource & Recovery Lodge, and Dr. Joy Froelich of Good Road Recovery Center, recently attended the Chronic Disease of Addiction National Transformation Forum in Washington, D.C., at the White House Complex,

The forum, a special invitation event held Wednesday, Aug. 26, brought together national leaders, medical professionals, addiction-recovery experts, policymakers and community advocates to discuss transforming America's approach to addiction and recovery.

The forum was hosted as part of the Great American Recovery Initiative, a national effort focused on recognizing addiction as a chronic, treatable disease and improving access to treatment, recovery support and long-term care. The initiative brings together government, health care, faith communities, tribal nations, private organizations, and individuals with lived experience in recovery.

The gathering included participation by former North Dakota First Lady Kathryn Burgum, White House senior adviser for Addiction Recovery and co-chair of the Great American Recovery Initiative. Burgum has made addiction recovery and reducing the stigma surrounding addiction a central part of her national work. In accordance with the American Presidency Project, she has also shared her own recovery journey and continues to emphasize that recovery is possible and that communities must provide hope, support, and pathways to healing.

The forum's agenda included several important discussions, including "Neurobiology of Addiction," "Treatment and Care Paradigms," and "Systems, Outcomes, and Funding." National experts from organizations including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and other leading institutions participated in the conversations.

For the MHA Nation North Segment delegation, the forum provided an important opportunity to learn from national leaders while also bringing the perspective and experiences of Native communities to the national conversation. Mayer's medical background and leadership on the MHA Nation Tribal Business Council, Froelich's work in tribal addiction treatment, and Baker's lived experience and peer-recovery leadership through The Door provide a powerful combination of medical, community, cultural and lived-experience perspectives.

The Door Resource & Recovery Lodge, located in New Town, is a Native peer-run recovery program of MHA Recovery Services that provides peer support, recovery coaching, mentorship, cultural teachings and a safe, sober environment for individuals working toward recovery. Operations have successfully been ongoing since 2017. Baker has served as its director since the beginning. She's also an active contributor and member of the MHA Recovery Team. Baker has been recognized nationally and throughout North Dakota for using her lived experience to empower others in recovery, shared Burgum.

Froelich serves as executive director and medical director of Good Road Recovery Center and has advocated for expanding access to culturally appropriate residential treatment for MHA citizens. She's actively involved on the federal and state government levels, having testified on the need to address barriers that can force Native people to leave their communities, families and culture to obtain treatment.