County rethinks recovery center location
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, June 29th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
KENNEWICK – Benton County has announced recent developments in acquiring a facility for the Three Rivers Behavioral Health Recovery Center has caused the county to change its plans in finding the best possible location.
Terms regarding the purchase of the former Kennewick General Hospital campus, also known as the Trios Auburn Campus, have been negotiated between Benton County and LifePoint Health. However, the property comes with restrictions as a condition of the sale that will limit what the county can and cannot do with the property, including what services can be provided there.
“This means some functions may not end up at this facility but that other necessary services will,” Benton County Administrator Jerrod MacPherson said.
MacPherson said the county has every intention of purchasing the former KGH property as well as purchase or lease an additional facility to best serve the needs of the community.
“At this time, we are discussing which services can be located at the KGH campus and which services will have to be located elsewhere,” he said. “It is still our goal to have a no-wrong-door facility for persons experiencing mental health or substance use crises and we want to assure everyone that no momentum has been lost in the establishment of a recovery center for our community and our region.”
Benton County has secured over $9 million in state and federal funding to support the future Three Rivers Behavioral Health Recovery Center, which the county hopes to have up and running by 2025.
