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BCRA partnered with Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) to transform a former assisted living facility on Vashon Island into Thunderbird Treatment Center, a 40,347-square-foot residential treatment facility designed to support healing, connection, and recovery.
Through architecture, interior design, and accessibility coordination, the existing building is reimagined to accommodate a phased, 92-bed program that increases King County’s inpatient residential treatment bed capacity by 51 percent.
The redesigned facility features updated resident rooms, counseling and community gathering spaces, childcare and recreation areas, cultural healing and ceremonial spaces, and a welcoming new entry. Covered outdoor areas, expanded parking, and other site improvements support residents, visitors, staff, and long-term operations.
The center supports an intensive residential treatment program, typically lasting 45 days, that combines evidence-based care with Indigenous knowledge and culturally based healing. Trauma-informed design, connections to the surrounding natural environment, and an Indigenous art program create a culturally welcoming setting that fosters dignity, safety, hope, and recovery while addressing a critical need for behavioral health services in King County.
Phase one is expected to begin serving patients in fall 2026, with the full 92-bed program planned for completion in spring 2027.
From the moment you walk into Thunderbird Treatment Center, you feel that this is a place designed to welcome people in a good way. BCRA helped shape an environment where relatives can feel dignity, safety, culture, and care. The design reflects our vision for healing, recovery, and community, and supports the future we are building for Native people and all those we serve.
- Esther Lucero, CEO of SIHB
Esther Lucero, CEO of SIHB
