A significant new initiative in Arizona aims to support Indigenous communities affected by fraudulent sober living homes. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced an allocation of $6 million to aid recovery efforts spearheaded by tribal nations and community nonprofits.
Herminia Frias, a councilmember from the Pascua Yaqui tribe, highlighted the personal impact of these fraudulent schemes. Frias stated, “These are not statistics. This is not something that happened to someone else. But this is something that happened to somebody, to somebody that, that even if they didn’t lose their lives, they still went through that thinking they were going to get into recovery. And they were taken advantage of and exploited.”
Ensuring that the public does not forget these events is a current priority, according to Frias.
Recently, individuals from various regions gathered at the historical Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, a former boarding school site, to recount the harsh realities of the sober-living-home scandal. This scandal led to the closure of over 300 facilities last year, drawing widespread attention.
The Sober Living Home Support Program, as outlined by Mayes, is funded by the state’s anti-racketeering resources. She has called for legislative support to at least match or ideally increase these funds, emphasizing the necessity for additional financial backing.
Mayes commented on the magnitude of the issue, explaining, “When you look at the fact that it’s likely that the amount of fraud will top $2 billion or more, you can extrapolate from that that thousands, if not tens of thousands of people were harmed by this.”
While her office continues with legal actions concerning the Medicaid fraud in Arizona, Mayes is also alerting other states to be vigilant about similar fraudulent activities within their systems.
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