Overview:
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is moving forward with a $4.6 million outpatient behavioral health treatment facility that will expand culturally grounded mental health, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and substance use treatment services for the Sicangu Lakota Oyate.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is planning to build a new $4.6 million outpatient behavioral health treatment facility that tribal leaders say will strengthen community-led mental health and substance use treatment services while advancing tribal self-determination in healthcare.
The 8,400-square-foot facility will be constructed next to the Tribe’s recently completed detoxification center and near the Indian Health Service emergency department on the Rosebud Reservation. By locating the new center alongside existing services, the Tribe aims to create a comprehensive continuum of behavioral healthcare for tribal members and surrounding communities.
The project is funded through two grants totaling nearly $5.4 million from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The funding covers construction costs and the facility’s first year of operations, allowing services to begin immediately after the center opens.
Skyla Fast Horse, Health Director for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Health Administration, said the project fulfills a commitment to provide culturally grounded, community-led care.
“These projects are more than buildings and programs—they are a reflection of our values, our responsibility, and our commitment to the wellbeing of the Sicangu Oyate,” Fast Horse said. “Each initiative brings us closer to healing, self-determination, and a stronger future for generations to come.”
The new building will house the Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center and consolidate expanded behavioral health services in a single location. Planned features include seven treatment rooms, three therapy rooms, a family treatment room, reception and waiting areas, a behavioral health call center, administrative offices, and a dedicated traditional healing space.
Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said centralizing services will improve access to care.
“Treatment for behavioral health and substance use issues should be as accessible as any other medical service,” Panzirer said. “Bringing these services into one centralized location will ensure that Rosebud Sioux Tribe members can access a full continuum of care closer to home.”
Tribal officials say the facility will expand local access to outpatient treatment, strengthen suicide prevention efforts, reduce barriers to care, and increase recovery support services within the community.
Wayne Booze, program director for the Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program, said the project is designed to improve behavioral health outcomes by increasing access to care tailored to the needs of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe community.
A key component of the center will be its integration of evidence-based behavioral health practices with Lakota cultural teachings and traditional healing methods. The approach emphasizes spirituality, family, language, and culture as essential parts of the healing process and reflects the Tribe’s commitment to holistic, trauma-informed care that addresses the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of individuals and families.
The investment comes as Native communities continue to face disproportionately high rates of suicide and behavioral health disparities. Public health data show that Native American youth, including those in Todd County, South Dakota, experience suicide rates significantly higher than the national average, highlighting the urgent need for accessible, culturally responsive behavioral health services.
Tribal officials have not yet announced a groundbreaking date, but Fast Horse said the project represents a major step toward strengthening the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s ability to provide comprehensive, culturally grounded behavioral healthcare for future generations.
