Children and Family Mental Health program relocates to expanded facility
Left to right, first row, Kailee Olson, Liesl Rolston, Mariah Morales, and Andrea Craft; second row, Tessa Paillette, Amy McCormick, Kristi Reher, Melissa Alvarado, Liz Holden, Donna Dinsmore, and Amy Quayle; and third row, Jariko Padilla, Payton Bruton, Amy Gauthier, and Damien Sands. Not pictured are Elena Szabo, Tyler Stephens, Angelica Garcia, Elizabeth Perkins, Molly Paeth, and Mandi Ropp.
Benton County remains on the forefront of providing services to those with mental health issues, and that includes residents of all ages. The County recently expanded the size of their facility and the services it provides at Benton County Children and Family Mental Health. An open house was held May 31 at the program’s new location at 4185 SW Research Way in Corvallis. The day featured tours, meeting the staff, a resource fair, and family activities and prizes.
“The timing is perfect since we just settled into our new space and it’s also Mental Health Awareness Month,” said Kristi Reher, program manager. “This new bigger building allows our Children and Family program to enhance our current services by being in a more therapeutic and family-friendly space. It also offers opportunities for expansion, which will allow us to better meet the range of needs for our Benton County youth and families.”
The Benton County Children and Family Mental Health program provides therapeutic services, including outpatient, school-based, and wrap-around services for youth under age 18 with a mental health diagnosis and identifiable treatment goals.
Dealing with issues at a young age is crucial to providing a lifetime of positive mental health, according to Chelsea Holcomb, the Child and Family Behavioral Health Director at the Oregon Health Authority. “The key to children’s behavioral health is prevention,” she said at the open house. “Mental health and substance abuse later in life usually develops before the age of 18. If we do well with early detection and intervention, we know we are going to better support the system as they become young adults and later in life.”
Benton County Commissioners Xan Augerot, Nancy Wyse, and Pat Malone were on hand to tour the recently opened facility. “This new home meets all our Children’s and Families’ Services needs and then some,” said Commissioner Augerot. “The County looks forward to many years of great services provided to the community.”
Augerot pointed out the many wonderful aspects of this site. “In addition to being on a bus route, our counseling program is now just a couple of doors away from key partners, such as the Oregon Department of Human Services, Benton Developmental Diversity, and the Juvenile Department,” she said.
In her remarks, Augerot extended “a huge thank-you to Damien Sands, Kristi Reher, and their excellent team for the programs and services they have assembled to serve the youth of Benton County.” Additional thanks abounded at the open house to show gratitude to those who helped secure the expanded facility, including the Benton County Commissioners, former Behavioral Health Services Manager Danielle Brown, the InterCommunity Health Network Coordinated Care Organization, Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield, and State Senator Sara Gelser-Blouin.
The new Benton County Children and Family Mental Health facility is located on Research Way next to the Benton County Sunset and Kalapuya buildings, across the street from the local Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS).
For more information about Benton County Children and Family Mental Health, visit their website.
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Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact Cory Grogan at 541-745-4468 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov.