Is detox center out of the financial woods, though?
The Gallup City Council unanimously approved a $1 million operational allotment related to the Na’nizhoozhi Center, Inc. The action took place at the Oct. 25 regular city meeting and was introduced by City Manager Maryann Ustick.
The agreement takes effect July 1, 2016 so that the city can utilize Behavioral Health Investment Zone funding for detoxification services in fiscal 2017, according to information distributed at the meeting.
“The state will allow the city to back a bill for the detoxification services since the Behavioral Health and Investment Zone Strategy was not approved by the state until Oct. 10, 2016,” Ustick informed council members. Ustick said there may be an estimated shortfall of about $50,000 that will need to be funded by general fund reserves.
Kevin Foley, executive director at NCI, lauded the council action. “I think it’s a good agreement and much needed considering the winter months are approaching,” Foley said.
Overall, the Gallup City Council approved the NCI allotment and a separate $242,000 budget adjustment to allocate fiscal 2017 (BHIZ) funds effective July 2016. A little more than $104,000 was earmarked Gallup’s way via the state for intensive counseling and case management services.
The Navajo Nation terminated its contract to provide detox services to NCI in October 2015 and an emergency request-for-proposals was issued. NCI was chosen from four proposers to provide services, and the Gallup City Council approved a contract with NCI for the period from October 2015 to March 2016. That contract was subsequently extended to Dec. 31, 2016 and was funded with a combination of liquor excise tax, an Indian Health Services emergency grant, and with fiscal 2016 BHIZ funds.
NCI — jokingly called the Navajo Comfort Inn by locals because of the abundance of Navajos who end up at the Boyd Avenue center — received $234,000 in February 2016 from IHS to stay open. Opened in 1992, the Navajo Nation at one time funded NCI to the tune of $4 million annually. That amount dwindled over the years with the Navajo Nation urging Gallup to get rid of its dozens of liquor establishments, which the nation says fuels Gallup’s alcoholism problem. McKinley County is consistently ranked in the Top 3 in New Mexico for DWI arrests.
The 150-bed NCI was created in 1992 as the result of an agreement between the city of Gallup, McKinley County, the Pueblo of Zuni and the Navajo Nation.
By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent
