ELLENSBURG, Wash.-A mental health clinic on the Central Washington University campus will be reopened thanks to recently announced funding from Kittitas County.
Kittitas County Commissioners have agreed to earmark funds generated through the county’s one-tenth of 1% Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Tax to the CWU Department of Psychology in 2024-25 so it can reopen the Community Counseling and Psychological Assessment Center.
The CCPAC closed in 2022 and is expected to open in March of 2024 after receiving $333,392 from Kittitas County, according to a press release on the center.
“We have the opportunity to help our community address mental health, and this clinic will provide increased access for youth in our county to access mental health services,” said Commissioner Brett Wachsmith.
The funding will pay for staffing, support resources and counseling technology at the CCPAC, which will serve patients between the ages of 11-17 who have been referred by the local school district, according to CWU and the Kittitas County Public Health.
CWU’s Psychology department plans to offer a clinic practicum for spring quarter 2024.
“The faculty and students in our Psychology Department are committed to creating positive outcomes for people in our community, and this partnership with Kittitas County will allow us to continue doing this critical work,” said CWU President Jim Wohlpart.
