After years of hard work and anticipation, Thunderbird Treatment Center is close to opening its doors to relatives seeking inpatient treatment and recovery. Construction and licensing are in the final stages, and we are actively hiring staff. Once the facility is fully ready—which we are estimating late summer to early fall—we will begin accepting patients. Check back, as we will be updating this site regularly with construction progress, hiring news, and opening updates.
In late summer 2026, SIHB is reopening Thunderbird Treatment Center (TTC) on Vashon Island as a $36 million state-of-the-art facility. TTC will increase the number of inpatient beds by 51% in King County, while providing the services and treatment that people struggling with substance use disorder need today.
Thunderbird offers 92 beds and high-end amenities, including luxury rooms, a cultural healing space, an outdoor traditional garden, and customized community and counseling spaces. Residents will be surrounded by and have access to the natural environment and medicines that Vashon Island has to offer.
Community-Centered Care
TTC offers an intensive inpatient treatment program (ASAM 3.1 and 3.5) that blends innovative therapies with personalized treatment plans, tailored to each individual’s unique needs and goals. The standard program is 45 days, but may be less or more depending on an individual’s context.
Thunderbird’s program is grounded in culturally based healing, drawing on the teachings of the Red Road to Wellbriety that supports a balanced life rooted in respect for self, others, and creation. Guided by White Bison’s integration of the Medicine Wheel and an American Indian and Alaska Native perspective that mirrors the 12-Step model, the program offers a holistic path to healing for individuals and families that connects traditional values and community.
Residents have access to behavioral health professionals, individual and group counseling, Traditional Indian Medicine experts, and outdoor activities, as well as access to ancillary comprehensive services, including psychiatry, Medication-Assisted Treatment, dental, pharmacy, primary care, and an array of human services.
TTC Intake and Referral Process
TTC welcomes both individuals and referrals from organizations/providers starting in late summer 2026.
Those who are already in the Seattle area will begin their journey at SIHB’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program in Seattle’s International District clinic. The first step will be to complete an SUD assessment. We offer walk-in assessments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Check-in times are 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM only. After the assessment process and once TTC is open in late summer 2026, if residential treatment is advised by SIHB’s SUD team, relatives may be referred to TTC. If inpatient residential treatment is recommended before TTC doors open, individuals will be referred to other inpatient residential agencies for immediate care.
Those who are not in the Seattle area may be referred by another organization/provider. For more information on the referral process, please submit this form.
To learn more about your health insurance options, please call (206) 324-9360 to schedule a free appointment with our insurance enrollment specialist.
We hope you will join us as we enter into a new chapter of healing.
Learn more about the new and improved Thunderbird Treatment Center at thunderbird.center.
Healthcare Informed by Indigenous Knowledge
Through our knowledge of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures, policy, and health, Seattle Indian Health Board combines the expertise of its staff to advocate for Native communities and provide holistic care for its patients.