For Tuscarora citizens and families
Addiction Treatment for Tuscarora Nation Citizens
If you are a Tuscarora Nation citizen, 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, and that includes the Lockport Service Unit, which serves the Tuscarora Nation.
Begin with your service unit. Phone the Lockport IHS Health Center PRC program at (716) 280-3856, tell them you are looking for addiction treatment, and ask for Thundermaker by name. After that, call us at (928) 531-1930 and we handle the authorization with your PRC office.
PRC covers care that IHS is unable to offer at its own facilities. Each request is decided on eligibility, medical priority, and any other coverage you have.
We answer your call 24 hours a day.
Who Handles My PRC Request?
The Indian Health Service serves Tuscarora citizens through its Lockport Service Unit. Purchased/Referred Care for the Nation is handled by the PRC program at the Lockport IHS Health Center, a short drive east 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.
- Open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Eastern
- Tuscarora Nation on tuscaroranation.org (opens in new tab)
The health center's Behavioral Health Clinic, (716) 280-3859, can do a substance use evaluation, and it also runs counseling, support groups, and aftercare. On the territory, the Tuscarora Health Center at 5226 Walmore Road in Lewiston provides everyday medical care at (716) 297-0310. You can reach the Nation's office at (716) 264-6007. Check out the Nation on this tribal page (opens in new tab) for other resources.
Do I Live in the PRC Delivery Area (PRCDA)?
PRC can only pay for citizens living inside the PRC delivery area (PRCDA). For the Tuscarora Nation, IHS sets that area as one county: Niagara County, New York.
So it includes the territory near Lewiston and Sanborn, along with Niagara Falls, Lockport, Wheatfield, and North Tonawanda.
Buffalo and the rest of Erie County sit outside the Tuscarora PRCDA. If you live there, or you belong to another federally recognized tribe and live on the Tuscarora territory, the Lockport PRC office can tell you what applies.
How Do I Get Started?
Follow these three steps in order, because PRC has to know before your care begins.
- Phone the Lockport PRC programCall (716) 280-3856 and ask for the PRC coordinator. Explain that you are a Tuscarora citizen who wants addiction treatment and request Thundermaker Wellness Center by name. If you still need a substance use evaluation, ask the Behavioral Health Clinic for one.
- Call usAdmissions picks up at (928) 531-1930 around the clock. We assemble the clinical paperwork and keep in contact with the Lockport PRC office until a decision comes back. Referring staff can ask for Jeri.
- You come to PrescottAfter PRC approves, we set a start date with you and help with travel from Niagara County. On day one we welcome you, introduce the team, and sit down with you to build your plan. Read about your first day here.
In an emergency, get treated right away and sort out PRC afterward. Tell your PRC office within 72 hours, or within 30 days if you are 65 or older or have a disability; otherwise PRC usually does not pay.
Why Should I Pick Thundermaker for My Treatment and Recovery in Arizona?
At home, Lockport's Behavioral Health Clinic provides counseling, support groups, and aftercare. Some people find they need time away from familiar places and people tied to their drinking or using before recovery can take hold. Leaving Niagara County for a while removes those daily triggers and gives you space to heal, in a program where culture is part of every day.
We are Native owned and operated and led by Native staff who have walked this road. Ceremony, sweat lodge, drum, garden work, and traditional arts are part of the week here, right alongside licensed counseling, through our Cultural and Traditional Program. Care options include the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and individual and family counseling.
When treatment wraps up, we connect with the Lockport Behavioral Health Clinic on your aftercare so support is waiting for you back in Niagara County.
Every person who reaches out is welcomed as a relative.
What Do I Need to Bring?
- Tuscarora 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 Tuscarora citizens?
IHS Purchased/Referred Care may pay for addiction treatment services once the Lockport Service Unit authorizes them in advance.
Where do Tuscarora citizens go for PRC?
The PRC program at the Lockport IHS Health Center, 150 Professional Parkway, Lockport, New York. Call (716) 280-3856 and ask for the PRC coordinator.
I live in Buffalo. Can PRC still pay?
Buffalo is in Erie County, which is outside the Tuscarora PRCDA of Niagara County. Call the Lockport PRC office at (716) 280-3856 and they can tell you what applies to you.
Can a relative call for me?
Yes. Your mom, your case manager, or your probation officer can call us at (928) 531-1930. The PRC request still goes through the Lockport office.
Is Thundermaker part of the Tuscarora 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, and then call us. We will talk through what PRC may cover and when you could begin. 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.