For Tonawanda Seneca citizens and families
Addiction Treatment for Tonawanda Seneca Nation Citizens
If you are a citizen of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, listed by the federal government as the Tonawanda Band of Seneca, IHS may pay for addiction treatment services at Thundermaker Wellness Center in Prescott, Arizona. Thundermaker is a confirmed IHS Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) provider for the Nashville Area, which includes the Lockport Service Unit that serves Tonawanda.
Start with your service unit. Call the PRC program at the Lockport IHS Health Center at (716) 280-3856, ask for the PRC coordinator, and request Thundermaker by name. Then call us at (928) 531-1930 and we take it from there with your PRC office.
PRC steps in when IHS is unable to offer a service at its own facilities. The Lockport office decides each request based on eligibility, medical priority, and any other coverage you have.
We answer your call 24 hours a day.
Who Handles My PRC Request?
Tonawanda Seneca citizens are served by the Lockport Service Unit of the Indian Health Service. Your Purchased/Referred Care request runs through the PRC program at the Lockport IHS Health Center, about half an hour north of the territory.
- Lockport IHS Health Center, 150 Professional Parkway, Lockport, NY 14094 (opens in new tab)
- PRC program (716) 280-3856. Main line (716) 280-3850.
- Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Eastern
Not sure what level of care you need? The Lockport Behavioral Health Clinic at (716) 280-3859 does substance use evaluations and also offers counseling, support groups, and aftercare. For everyday medical care on the territory, Tonawanda Seneca Family Care in Akron is at (585) 542-5230. The Nation's office is at 7027 Meadville Road in Basom, (716) 542-4244.
Do I Live in the PRC Delivery Area (PRCDA)?
To use PRC, you need to live inside the Tonawanda Seneca PRC delivery area (PRCDA). IHS sets it as three New York counties: Genesee, Erie, and Niagara.
That takes in the territory along Tonawanda Creek and the towns around it, including Basom, Akron, Alabama, and Pembroke. It also covers Batavia and the rest of Genesee County, Buffalo and all of Erie County, and Lockport, Niagara Falls, and the rest of Niagara County.
Belong to another federally recognized tribe and live on the Tonawanda territory? Ask the Lockport PRC office whether you qualify.
How Do I Get Started?
Three steps, in this order. PRC needs to hear about your care before it starts.
- Call the Lockport PRC programCall (716) 280-3856 and ask for the PRC coordinator. Say you are a Tonawanda Seneca citizen looking for addiction treatment and request Thundermaker Wellness Center by name. If you have not had a substance use evaluation, the Behavioral Health Clinic can schedule one.
- Call usReach admissions at (928) 531-1930 at any hour. We put the clinical paperwork together and work with the Lockport PRC office until you have an answer. Referring staff can ask for Jeri.
- You come to PrescottWhen PRC approves, we pick your start date together and help plan the trip from Western New York. Your first day is about settling in, meeting the team, and making your plan with a counselor. Here is what the first day is like.
Emergencies come first. Get the care you need, then let your PRC office know within 72 hours, or within 30 days if you are 65 or older or living with a disability. PRC usually will not pay for care it was never told about.
Why Should I Pick Thundermaker for My Treatment and Recovery in Arizona?
Close to home, the Lockport Behavioral Health Clinic offers counseling, support groups, and aftercare. Some relatives need more distance than that, away from the places and people tied to their drinking or using. A stretch of time far from Western New York clears out daily triggers and gives you room to rebuild, in a program where culture is part of the day from the start.
Our staff are Native, and many of them have walked this road themselves. Licensed counseling runs side by side with ceremony, sweat lodge, drum, garden work, and traditional arts in our Cultural and Traditional Program. Depending on what you need, you may join the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), or individual and family counseling.
Before you leave Prescott, we coordinate aftercare with the Lockport Behavioral Health Clinic, so you come home to Tonawanda with support already lined up.
Every person who reaches out is welcomed as a relative.
What Do I Need to Bring?
- Tonawanda Seneca Nation enrollment card
- Photo ID
- Proof of your address inside the PRCDA
- Your PRC authorization number
- Prescription medications in their original bottles, with a list of doses
- Court or probation paperwork, if a court is involved
- Clothes that fit the season you are traveling in: summer, fall, or winter
- Toiletries and hygiene products, if you have them. If you do not, that is okay.
Questions People Ask
Does IHS pay for addiction treatment for Tonawanda Seneca citizens?
IHS Purchased/Referred Care may pay for addiction treatment services when the Lockport Service Unit authorizes it before care begins.
Which office handles PRC for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation?
The PRC program at the Lockport IHS Health Center, 150 Professional Parkway in Lockport, New York. Call (716) 280-3856 and ask for the PRC coordinator.
Do I have to live on the territory?
No. The Tonawanda Seneca PRCDA covers Genesee, Erie, and Niagara Counties, which includes Basom, Akron, Batavia, Buffalo, Lockport, and Niagara Falls.
Can someone else make the first call for me?
Yes. A relative, a case manager, or a probation officer can call us at (928) 531-1930. The PRC request itself goes through the Lockport office.
Is Thundermaker part of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation?
No. Thundermaker Wellness Center is an independent, Native owned and operated treatment center in Prescott, Arizona, and a confirmed IHS PRC provider for the Nashville Area.
Is the phone really answered at night?
Yes. We answer your call at (928) 531-1930 24 hours a day.
Where Do I Start?
Call the Lockport PRC office first, then call us. We will explain what PRC may cover and when you could start. Email works too: admissions@thundermakerwellness.com.
Sources: IHS Lockport Service Unit; Federal Register, January 22, 2020; IHS Purchased/Referred Care. See also how IHS PRC may pay for addiction treatment and the IHS PRC vendor page.