Cowlitz County seeks tribal partner and non‑government operator for juvenile mental health center

Cowlitz County commissioners on Tuesday discussed advancing plans for a juvenile mental health and recovery center and said they are pursuing a non‑government partner to operate the facility if funding and facilities can be identified.

Commissioners said renovating existing juvenile facility space would be expensive. Instead, county leaders reported meeting with representatives of the Cowlitz Tribe and PeaceHealth to explore whether a tribal or non‑profit partner could operate a center modeled on the Healing Lodge program observed in Spokane. County officials said the Healing Lodge, developed by a consortium of tribes, has a mix of cultural, arts and clinical programming and has shown positive results for youth treatment.

The board noted that statewide capacity for juvenile behavioral health is limited; commissioners said there are only three state facilities that serve juveniles statewide, with two focused on substance abuse and one focused on mental health. The county has at times sent juveniles out of state, including to Utah, for mental health care. Commissioners said keeping youth closer to family improves recovery prospects and that a local facility operated by a partner could reduce out‑of‑county placements.

County staff and commissioners said the Cowlitz Tribe would need council-level approval and the county would continue to vet potential partners and funding. Commissioners described the effort as continuing work rather than a finalized plan: staff are to continue exploring facilities, funding and potential operating partners.

Next steps discussed include further engagement with tribal leadership, evaluating potential facility sites and identifying funding streams and service partners. No formal motion or contract was made at Tuesday’s meeting.