CVCH opens youth behavioral health clinic in Wenatchee

WENATCHEE — A new clinic aimed at helping teens and young adults navigate mental health and substance use challenges has opened in Wenatchee.

Columbia Valley Community Health announced that its new Youth Behavioral Health clinic began serving patients Monday, March 9. The program is designed for young people ages 13 to 25 and brings several types of behavioral health care together in one location.

Located at 140 Easy Way, the clinic provides mental health counseling, substance use services and psychiatric assessment and treatment for adolescents and transition-age adults.

CVCH officials say the goal is to create a single place where young people and their families can access support without navigating multiple systems or referral pathways. The program reflects the organization’s “No Wrong Door for Youth” approach, which aims to ensure that young people seeking help can find appropriate services regardless of how they enter the system.

“Teen and young adult years can be some of the most challenging to navigate,” said Dr. Susan Caverly, executive director of behavioral health at CVCH. “Our new Youth Behavioral Health program offers a safe, inclusive space where youth and their families will find the help they need.”

The clinic’s services are designed specifically for adolescents and young adults and include support not only for patients but also for their families. Providers focus on developmentally appropriate care that addresses mental health concerns, substance use and related behavioral health needs.

The new program comes as communities across Washington continue to grapple with growing demand for youth mental health services. Statewide studies estimate that roughly one in five adolescents needs clinical care for anxiety or depression, while more than half report experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression at some point during adolescence.

Access to behavioral health services remains uneven in rural parts of the state, including North Central Washington. Regional health assessments have found that many communities in Chelan and Douglas counties face limited access to outpatient mental health and substance-use treatment, often requiring significant travel to reach providers.

CVCH, which operates clinics across Wenatchee, East Wenatchee and Chelan, has increasingly integrated behavioral health into its broader primary care services in an effort to make treatment more accessible for patients and families.

Officials say the new Youth Behavioral Health clinic expands that approach by focusing specifically on adolescents and young adults — a period when mental health and substance use issues often first emerge.

Appointments for the clinic can be scheduled through the CVCH website or by calling 509-664-0980.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media