CCCNews Podcast: Providers Unite to Launch Mental-Health Hub in White Salmon
White Salmon, Wash., Oct. 31, 2025 — This week’s CCS News Podcast features a conversation with three of the leaders behind the new Community Roots Wellness Hub in White Salmon, a collaborative mental health and community-services center that opened earlier this fall.
Rita Pinchot, Kay Alton, and Juan Reyes joined the podcast to discuss how a multi-agency partnership transformed a former Comprehensive Healthcare building into a shared space designed to make accessing help easier for families in Western Klickitat County.
The hub officially launched on Wednesday, Oct. 29, with a family-friendly open house featuring DJ Charlie Kittens, youth activities, and free food. Located at 432 NE Tohomish St., the central White Salmon site brings mental-health therapy, trauma-informed care, youth support, and wrap-around wellness services together under one roof.
Partner agencies include Washington Gorge Action Programs, The Next Door, Inc., Washington Therapists Collective, Education Service District 112, Carelon, and One Community Health. The coalition spent the summer renovating the site, coordinating service plans, and developing a streamlined referral system aimed at eliminating the maze of handoffs that often prevents people from receiving timely help. A grant opportunity from Southwest Washington Accountable Communities of Health allowed the groups to move quickly from concept to launch.
Project manager Paul Lindberg said the layout blends private therapy rooms with flexible workstations, allowing staff to collaborate between appointments and offer warm handoffs to neighboring providers. “It’s just the right person knowing the right information at the right time,” Lindberg said.
Organizers say the space is designed not only for treatment but for connection. A youth area is planned as an after-school hub with social activities, leadership opportunities, prevention programming, and healthy snacks. Jennifer Pauletta described it as “a safe place for youth after school,” noting that the hub’s greatest strength is its ability to place multiple supportive resources within reach in a single, welcoming location.
The open house also gave residents the chance to meet service partners, including state Rep. David Steuben of Washington’s 117th District, and offer feedback on what services are most needed. That input will help guide hours, programming, and how the groups share the space moving forward.
On the podcast, Pinchot, Alton, and Reyes emphasized the hub’s mission: reducing barriers to care, offering community-centered support, and keeping people from having to travel far or retell their story multiple times. The model mirrors a growing regional shift toward co-located services, similar to The Gloria Center in The Dalles, which opened last year as a multi-agency navigation center.
The coalition plans to continue refining schedules, programs, and referral systems as the hub settles into regular operations. The full podcast episode is available now on CCS News.
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