Newhouse isn’t paying enough attention to Tri-Cities drug recovery plans | Opinion
With recent news that nearly every Tri-Cities overdose death so far this year has been related to fentanyl, the timing is right for the newly created Central Washington Fentanyl Task Force.
The group was started by Congressman Dan Newhouse, and includes people from law enforcement, hospitals, drug courts, addiction treatment centers, elected officials and families of fentanyl victims.
The 22-member task force also includes representation from throughout the 4th Congressional District, including Kennewick Police Chief Chris Guerrero.
While others members are from Chelan, Moses Lake, Sunnyside, Goldendale, Toppenish and Colville, most are from Yakima.
The purpose of the group is to figure out a comprehensive approach to deal with the fentanyl crisis. As recently reported in the Tri-City Herald, there was a record number of fentanyl overdose deaths in our area in 2022 and this year is shaping up to be just as deadly.
Considering that the Tri-Cities is set to build a new mental health and recovery center, we suggest that Newhouse’s task force find a way to include this project in their discussions.
After all, both the task force and the recovery center are in the new construction phase — so to speak.
Michele Gerber, chair of the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition, launched the group over four years ago with the goal of developing a detox facility in the community.
At the time, she noted that the Tri-Cities is the third largest metropolitan area in the state, and the only community of its size not to have a safe place where people can go to sober up or withdraw from a drug-induced condition.
Gerber’s efforts caught the attention of law enforcement officials and other community leaders who saw the desperate need for such a facility. Too often, addicts and those with mental health issues end up in our county jails because there is nowhere else they can go.
This is not only unacceptable, it’s heartbreaking.
Gerber has repeatedly said that addiction is a brain disease and should be treated like the illness it is.
Now, after years of effort, the Tri-Cities is on its way to getting a two-site project to help these people in need.
One location will be in the old Kennewick General Hospital building and the other will be at nearby 10 East Bruneau Ave, the old Welch’s juice facility.
Once fully open, the new center will provide a variety of services that include treatment assessment, medical help to withdraw from addiction, residential inpatient treatment, recovery housing, job training assistance and youth services.
Between public and private contributions, Gerber said the coalition has raised $21.3 million for the project, and of that only about $2 million has come from the federal government.
She told the Herald that she has been trying to connect with Rep. Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, since January, but has felt blocked.
A spokesman for Newhouse said the congressman’s schedule is so tight it is tough for him to accommodate every meeting request.
We understand that.
Now, after some back-and-forth between Gerber, the Herald and Newhouse’s office, we are sure the new Tri-Cities recovery center is now on the congressman’s radar.
Physically, the combined sites will certainly be the largest addiction treatment and mental health facility of its kind in Central Washington.
And Gerber believes it likely will end up being the largest in the state.
A project of this magnitude certainly deserves acknowledgment from Newhouse.
It’s our understanding that fentanyl task force members will hold their meetings throughout the 4th Congressional District.
We suggest that at some point, the group meet in the Tri-Cities and tour both recovery center sites.
As the project moves forward, there will be a need for additional funding and perhaps Newhouse could help with that as well.
Fentanyl is taking too many lives and while doing something to combat this in the short-term is desperately needed, it’s worthwhile to look ahead and provide even more help in the future.
That’s what the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition aims to do, as well as Newhouse’s fentanyl task force.
Surely, a little collaboration could help push both groups closer to their goals.
This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 5:00 AM.