An inpatient behavioral health and substance use treatment center years in the making has officially opened its doors in Kennewick. 

The Columbia Valley Center for Recovery began welcoming its first patients on June 20 for two of its four treatment programs, according to a release. It’s the first such facility in the region and is expected to strengthen mental health treatment options and services for the Tri-Cities and its nearby communities. 

“The facility brings intensive support closer to home, so people can access care in their own community and near the family, providers and support systems that are so important to recovery,” said Jodi Daly, CEO of recovery center operator Comprehensive Healthcare, in a statement. 

The recovery center is housed in the former Kennewick General Hospital building at 10th Avenue and Auburn Street. It took years of fundraising and advocacy before work could begin to remake the old hospital – portions of which are roughly 100 years old – into a behavioral health facility. Crews began demolition in the winter of 2024-25 to kick off the $23 million project, with Bouten Construction, NAC Architecture and MSI Engineers working as key partners with the county. 

Benton County owns the facility, with Yakima-based Comprehensive Healthcare providing day-to-day operations. 

At full capacity, the recovery center will have beds for 64 patients spread across four programs.  

As of the June 20 opening, the center was only accepting patients for its Crisis Stabilization Center – which supports voluntary patients in need of an extended stay to stabilize before connecting to ongoing treatment – and the Co-Occurring Residential Treatment Center, which serves voluntary patients who have a mental health diagnosis and substance use disorder working toward longer-term recovery. 

The other two programs – the Crisis Relief Center and Secure Withdrawal Management Program – will begin accepting patients after final approval of the recovery center’s state pharmacy license. 

Regional leaders celebrated the recovery center’s opening and the transformational care will provide. 

“This new facility represents a meaningful investment in the health and well‑being of our community, and we believe it will make a lasting, positive impact for years to come,” said Matt Rasmussen, deputy administrator for Benton County, in a statement. 

To learn more about the recovery center, go to: CompHC.org.