Benton County acquires place for recovery center
By Terry Murry on Friday, November 11th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
KENNEWICK – The old Kennewick General Hospital facility at 900 S. Auburn St. has been acquired by Benton County, moving the community one step closer to having a behavioral health recovery center.
On Thursday, Benton County announced it has closed escrow and received the executed deed for the facility and has executed a lease with Columbia River Warehouse LLC for additional space at 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Due to restrictions as a condition of the sale of the facility, Benton County is limited to what services it can and cannot provide on that property.
The Behavioral Health Recovery Center will serve Benton and Franklin counties and all cities within those boundaries, local area tribes, and the surrounding cities and counties. The recovery center will provide comprehensive behavioral health services to persons in mental health crisis or suffering from substance use disorder, with or without co-occurring mental health disorders.
These services include, but are not limited to treatment assessment, medical withdrawal management (detox), residential inpatient treatment, aftercare planning (recovery housing, job training assistance, etc.), and pediatric transition services.
Benton County has secured over $9 million in state and federal funding to support this project and make it a reality. In addition, it has committed up to $5 million of its funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act to this project, which the county hopes to have up and running in 2025.
