Show Indian alcohol recovery center helps Utah's Native Americans Jonathan han D. D Kline I News Feature Editor T THE HE problems with with alcoholism and drug addiction among Native Americans have been an and l continue to be a high priority for Richard Curry and Alex Shephard counselors for the Indian Alcohol Recovery Center located in Salt Lake City Through an Indian Club sponsored lecture students were enlightened a about ut th the problems faring facing not only Native Americans but other as well A According cording to Curry there are many misconceptions as to what an alcoholic is Many people are hung up with labels and never go beyond the label of alcoholic or drug addict The Indian Recovery Center in Salt Lake City was organized in 1972 Since its inception there ther l have been m more re than 2000 people from all over the Intermountain Intermountain Intermountain Inter- Inter mountain West helped by the their r services Eighty to ninety percent of the court referrals are sent to the recovery center for only one reason the reason the judge ordered them to go Curry said it was rare they were there because they wanted to be He said there was no cure for alcoholism and abstinence was the only solution Curry said families and others who care for each other really make it harder on a drug or alcohol addict in that they are always bailing the addicts out They never have to face the realities of the addiction He said his grandparents always paid his fines and he never had to spend time in jail until after his grandparents rents passed away Then the harshness of his addiction really set in Seventy percent of all phone calls the center receives requesting help are from people other than the addict Curry said If someone really wants to help the addict he must make the addict seek her own help Sometimes this is difficult The addict must be given an ultimatum ranging anywhere from financial loss to family separation or divorce Its It's these motivations that cause change Curry said Alex Shephard who said he has been an alcoholic for 25 years has been involved with th the recovery center for over a year and has been sober for one year and nd four months Shephard is the intake coordinator for the recovery center and sees al alcohol alcoholics alcoholics al- al cohol s from the onset of their recovery programs He knows what they look like when they arrive and what they look like when they leave He said some make it and some do not Shephard said most of their clients come from prison diversion programs t detoxification programs and some sOffie on their own For Shephard drinking was his reward and sometimes he had more beer in his refrigerator than food H He went wept through three marriages and three divorces and had six DUIs In the last DUI someone was almost killed because of alcohol Shephard said the Indian Recovery Centers Center's first priority is the Native American Americal but others are welcome on a space-available space basis Funding for the center comes from various sources They contract with Salt Lake County and Utah Utan State Corrections They also receive support and some sonie funding from their parent program located in Phoenix Ariz The Indian Recovery Center is located at So West Ut You may contact them at if you need further assistance S n Jh s T p t Y Y v bar y f- f ij v u i x n t 1 j t f t. b 4 r J Z- Z 1 c i 11 v u I 1 b 4 c 14 4 V 9 J t. t 4 Richard C Curry rry and Alex l Shephard Shephard |