Desert Visions Youth Wellness Center

About the facility

Desert Visions is located on the Gila River Indian Community in Sacaton, Arizona, approximately 40 miles south of Phoenix. Desert Visions is a 24 bed facility and is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC). The Treatment Center has an open and continuous enrollment for both male and female adolescents. Our length of stay is approximately 120 days, dependent on the progress of the client.

We offer a multi-disciplinary treatment that includes bio-psychosocial, health, education, and cultural activities. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is our preferred treatment modality and the clients are taught to use these tools to improve their choices in life.

The facility is owned and operated by the Indian Health Service. Our services are open to any male and female young person between the ages of 12 and 18 who qualify for services through the Indian Health Service. However, most of our clients are from reservations and communities from Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, and New Mexico.

Services

Spiritual

We promote and provide clients with access to traditional spiritual and cultural activities such as sweat lodge, smudging, praying, beading, dancing, food, and other specific activities. We recognize that everyone is entitled to their own spiritual beliefs and allow for the clients to participate in the religious/spiritual practice of their choice.

Emotional

We support the clients in their quest to become substance free through individual, group and family counseling, peer support, White Bison curriculum, and 12 step sobriety programs. We teach them to use their Wise Mind to help them navigate through life.

Intellectual

Clients are required to attain educational credits or complete their High School Equivalency while at our program. We provide the clients with the opportunity to earn education credits, explore vocational opportunities, and/or test for their GED. We utilize the A+ plus on line learning systems with Ed Options High School. We also have a full-time K-12 special education teacher on staff.

Physical

Recreational activities include basketball, softball, swimming, running, hiking, aerobics, and rock wall climbing. We have an outdoor circuit training/ropes course. Nursing is available 24 hours a day for injuries, health education, and medication management. We also have dietary consults available for client nutritional needs.

Admission Criteria

• Adolescents between the ages of 12-18
• Eligible for direct services from the Indian Health Service
• Primary diagnosis of addictive disease to substances
• Willing to commit to treatment
• Medically stable- acute medical problems may interfere with treatment
   
  Further evaluation is needed for youth who are:
  • Actively suicidal or have recently committed self-harm
  • Actively homicidal or recent acts of serious violence
  • Actively psychotic or impaired in reality testing
  • Intellectually challenged with an IQ range <70
  • Current admission of sibling or close family member

Application

• Click on the link to for an updated application. [PDF - 4693 KB]

Applications can be mailed or faxed to:
Attention Intake Department
Desert Visions Youth Wellness Center
PO Box 458
Sacaton, AZ 85147
Fax: 520-562-3415

** You may call 520-562-4248 to confirm receipt of fax.

Once we have received the full application. We will contact the applicant to complete a telephone assessment to assess for client willingness and patient acuity to determine placement and admission plan.