In the past few weeks there has been a flood of publicity about "treatment providers" going to Arizona reservations and bringing back tribal members that have alcohol problems for so-called treatment.
Those with knowledge of this practice say that white vans drive onto the reservation and offer pedestrians alcohol and other inducements to come with them to Phoenix to receive treatment for problems. Reportedly, once they arrived at the facility they are provided with alcohol and coerced into signing paperwork that will sign them up for Arizona's state insurance program.
Some reports say that the Native Americans are even offered money to stay in the program, a program that offers zero services that would help them cope with their alcohol and other addictions.
This practice is another example of how unscrupulous operators take advantage of those with financial resources or insurance, without giving a thought of helping them change their lives.
But all of this is about to change because authorities have closed down something like 100 to 200 programs in the last few weeks, depending upon which reports you read.
Some of the stories on the streets about how these Native Americans were treated are horrendous. Many of them were held, virtually against their will, unable to contact their family or friends. There have been accounts of people having to climb out of windows and over fences in order to get to a telephone where they could contact their families to help them return home.
The bad thing about people who operate this way – taking advantage of the vulnerable – affects those who operate an aboveboard recovery operation. Fortunately the government is taking action that will prevent this kind of abuse from occurring again.
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