$7.9M received to build youth center
Chairman: `This cutting-edge center will strengthen our youth, our families and our community'
This spring, the Yurok Tribe is slated to begin construction on a youth center offering health care services, classes, therapy and wellness events.
The tribe received a $7.9 million grant from the California Health and Human Services Agency to construct the three-story, 4,320-square-foot building next to the Libby Haripop Nix Community Center in Weitchpec. The facility is intended to bolster local access to a litany of services for tribal youth ranging from mental health to cultural events and addressing substance abuse.
“The new facility will serve as a one-stop location, where our youth will have access to the culturally informed services and self-empowering support they need to lead healthy, productive lives,” Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James said in a prepared
statement. “I would like to thank California Gov. Gavin Newsom and CALHHS for investing in the future of the Yurok Tribe. This cutting-edge center will strengthen our youth, our families and our community
for many generations to come.”
The facility will include a calming space, a pantry, areas for group classes and events, office spaces, therapists, a cultural classroom, a game room, a computer
station for virtual medical appointments, support groups, parenting classes, and an amphitheater. A traditional sweathouse will also be part of the construction. Services offered will be directed at local youths between the ages of 12 and 23.
There will also be outpatient treatment for substance use disorder, and it will be used as a venue for cultural community wellness events. The building will also feature a legal clinic and a foster care office aimed at helping youth through the justice and foster care systems.
The location in Weitchpec was chosen since it is the most populated part of the upriver side of the Yurok Reservation, and it will serve hundreds of families. A youth center located in the heart of a tribal community will make accessing the services it offers easier, rather than having to drive several hours to reach Eureka, where most Department of Health and Human Services treatment options are available.
Yurok tribal youth served on an advisory group that gave several recommendations for services to include, and it will continue functioning after the facility is completed.
“It is extremely important for youth to have a meaningful say in the decisions that affect their lives. We want to empower local teens and young adults to become resilient, independent and successful adults,” Yurok Health and Human Services Suicide Prevention Program Manager Shoshoni Gensaw-hostler said in a release. “For many years, we have needed a youth center in the Weitchpec area and I'm so grateful it is finally going to be a reality.”
Yurok spokesperson Matt Mais did not respond to questions about the facility, including when it is expected to open, how much it will cost to run and if it can meet local demand for services, by the Times-standard's print deadline.
Jackson Guilfoil can be reached at 707-441-0506.