Cherokee Nation Signs $10 Million Bill for Outpatient Substance Use Disorder Center in Stilwell

Cherokee Nation is investing $10 million to build a 10,000-square-foot outpatient substance use disorder facility at 82102 Highway 59 in Stilwell, Oklahoma, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner signed legislation for the project on Monday, Yahoo reported. The center is part of the tribe's broader behavioral health capital fund.

Cherokee Nation Signs Stilwell Facility Bill

Hoskin and Warner gathered with other Cherokee Nation leaders to sign the legislation earmarking funding for the outpatient center. "The passage of this legislation represents another important step in our commitment to addressing substance use disorder and expanding access to recovery care for our citizens," Hoskin said in a press release. Warner said the building "will be a representation of hope for those struggling with substance use disorder."

Cherokee Nation was among the first communities in the United States to sue drug manufacturers, distributors and marketers over prescription opioids. The lawsuit, settled in 2021 with a $75 million payout to the tribe, alleged that nearly 800 kilograms of opioids, enough for almost 10 million pills at oxycodone's highest strength, were distributed within the reservation in just one year.

In 2022, Hoskin, Warner and the Council of the Cherokee Nation placed settlement funds under amendments to the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act. Those amendments established the Behavioral Health Capital Fund, earmarking most of the tribe's opioid settlement funds for capital projects related to behavioral health and drug addiction treatment. The act was amended again in 2023 and 2026 to bring additional settlement dollars into the fund.

Cherokee Nation's Behavioral Health Buildout

Since the fund's inception, the Hoskin and Warner administration has begun construction on an inpatient addiction treatment center in Tahlequah and outpatient recovery centers in Tahlequah and Vinita. Those projects are scheduled to be completed in 2027.

Cherokee Nation's Recent Commitments

According to akta.pro company records, Cherokee Nation serves more than 450,000 tribal citizens worldwide, with over 141,000 living within the reservation boundaries in northeastern Oklahoma. The tribe's economic impact on the Oklahoma economy was $2.16 billion in fiscal year 2018, and its total funding on record stands at $27.4 million, the same records show.

Earlier Cherokee Nation Programs

In November 2026, Cherokee Nation expanded its Elders in Need program, raising the annual benefit from $400 to $600 and tripling eligible elders from about 1,400 to 4,200, Yahoo reported. In October 2026, the tribe announced a Community Building Safety Initiative committing up to $180,000 to install AEDs and first aid kits, Yahoo reported. Also in October 2026, the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council's Rules Committee unanimously approved a resolution opposing a $4 billion aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, developed by Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum, Shanghai Metals Market reported.

What Comes Next for Cherokee Nation

Construction on the Tahlequah inpatient center and the Tahlequah and Vinita outpatient centers is scheduled for completion in 2027. The Stilwell outpatient center's construction timeline was not stated in the announcement.