Never Alone Recovery Support Services (NARSS) is a non-profit organization that provides long-term recovery support to all people facing addiction and homelessness. In 2025, Providence Montana supported a culturally relevant curriculum pilot called Walking in Balance to strengthen recovery housing support for Native American adults in Lake County, Mont., that expands upon the organization's existing services for all populations.
By integrating evidence-based practices with culturally and linguistically relevant approaches, the program aimed to increase engagement in recovery programming, improve participation in group services, and strengthen long-term recovery supports within a peer-led environment.
Some participants in the program were unsure what it would feel like to work through the Walking in Balance curriculum and talk openly about difficult parts of their recovery. However, participants didn’t just complete the exercises, they committed to the process together.
Each Walking in Balance session included time for crafting while the group talked through challenging topics. Crafting became more than an activity; it became a grounding tool. Participants practiced mindfulness and attention, focusing on what they were making while working through complex emotions and hard conversations.
The pilot proved successful, with measurable improvements for Native American residents in recovery. NARSS achieved a greater than 10 percent increase in retention of Native American residents during the grant period.
One participant said: “I have been in long term recovery from drug use for many years. Although I learned about building a life without drugs, part of my life still felt distant or disconnected. I am an enrolled tribal member of Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; I am Bitterroot Salish. I was not raised with my culture or traditional values.
“I discovered the real history of my people and the truth about historic and generational trauma. I learned and acknowledged some hard truths about myself, my parents and grandparents which ultimately gave me the freedom to forgive. Programs like Walking in Balance have helped me learn how to participate in my culture and reconnect with my spirit.”
