Tri-Cities recovery center ready to open, offering 'hope, for healing and for peace'

The $50 million Columbia Valley Center for Recovery will provide comprehensive treatment for substance abuse and behavioral health issues.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 11:05pm

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An extreme close-up X-ray image revealing the intricate structures of the human brain and nervous system, glowing against a dark background to conceptually represent the center's focus on mental health and addiction treatment.The new Columbia Valley Center for Recovery will provide comprehensive treatment for substance abuse and behavioral health issues, addressing a critical need in the Tri-Cities community.Madison Today

After five years of work, the Tri-Cities region's first public comprehensive treatment facility for substance abuse and behavioral health issues is set to open on May 1. The $50 million Columbia Valley Center for Recovery will offer crisis relief, crisis stabilization, co-occurring residential treatment, and secure withdrawal management services. Community leaders and advocates gathered for the grand opening event, which drew several hundred people, mostly from Eastern Washington.

Why it matters

The new recovery center aims to move drug addiction and mental illness "out of the shadows of disgrace, guilt and stigma, and into the realm of modern medicine." Leaders hope the facility will save lives and allow Tri-City families to make more memories with their loved ones going through drug or mental health struggles. On average, one Tri-Cities resident loses their life to addiction about every five days.

The details

The Columbia Valley Center for Recovery is being opened over two phases at the old Kennewick General Hospital campus. On May 1, provider Comprehensive Healthcare will begin full operations of the co-occurring residential treatment center, crisis relief, and crisis stabilization centers. By July 1, the secure withdrawal management unit will also open. The center will use a "no wrong door" model, serving individuals regardless of their condition, circumstances or ability to pay. At full build out, it will support 144 full-time jobs in healthcare and support staff.

  • The project broke ground in November 2024 and took 870 days to deliver.
  • The center will officially open on May 1, 2026.
  • The secure withdrawal management unit will begin service on July 1, 2026.

The players

Benton County

The county that purchased the old Kennewick General Hospital building in 2022 and led the five-year effort to establish the new recovery center.

Comprehensive Healthcare

The provider that will begin full operations of the co-occurring residential treatment center, crisis relief, and crisis stabilization centers on May 1.

Dr. Michele Gerber

The president of the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition who worked tirelessly to get her late son's name prominently affixed to the building's exterior.

Elijah Stenehjem

A 23-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin who flew out for the grand opening event and whose father, James Stenehjem, died in 2014 from a drug addiction.

Matt Rasmussen

Benton County's deputy administrator who said the new recovery center will be a place for "hope, for healing and for peace."

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What they’re saying

“This recovery center moves drug addiction and mental illness out of the shadows of disgrace, guilt and stigma, and into the realm of modern medicine.”

— Dr. Michele Gerber, President, Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition

“If you present here, we're going to help you. We're going to help you empathetically, we're going to help you filled with respect, we're going to treat you like human beings.”

— John Schlenske, Division Chief of Substance Use Disorder, Comprehensive Healthcare

“For too long individuals in behavioral health crisis have ended up in jail or the emergency room, not because it was what they needed but because it was the only option.”

— Matt Rasmussen, Deputy Administrator, Benton County

What’s next

The Columbia Valley Center for Recovery will begin full operations of all its services, including the secure withdrawal management unit, by July 1, 2026.

The takeaway

The opening of the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery represents a significant milestone for the Tri-Cities community, providing much-needed comprehensive treatment services for substance abuse and behavioral health issues. By moving addiction and mental illness "into the realm of modern medicine," the center aims to reduce stigma, save lives, and help families in the region reconnect with their loved ones in recovery.