Addiction support service coming to Pullman

PULLMAN — Addiction support services are expanding to Pullman with plans to establish the Whitman Recovery Community Center.

The region’s newest recovery center will be temporarily housed within the Real Life Church located at 1234 S. Grand Ave., in Pullman, according to a Latah Recovery Center news release Tuesday. The center will open Feb. 17, with hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The initiative was spearheaded by the Latah Recovery Center, a Moscow-based nonprofit with more than 10 years of success within the area.

Executive Director Darrell Keim said plans were first seriously discussed with Pullman citizens last spring. The group recognized a lack of recovery community centers in southeast Washington.

Megan Guido, longtime Pullman resident, was selected to serve as the Whitman Recovery Community Center’s interim director. She has extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and public service, and currently serves as a Pullman city councilor.

Guido said recently conducted Community Health Needs Assessments in Whitman County show mental health and substance use disorders as a continuing concern.

“Pullman and Whitman County are not immune from the epidemic of substance and alcohol addiction, behavioral health and loneliness,” she said.

Keim said the new center is a high priority — given similar demographics between the two cities, the need is akin to what the center has experienced in Moscow.

The Latah Recovery Center does provide help to some Washington residents, but Keim said having services closer will make it easier to pursue help when people are ready to ask for it.

Guido notes the center is not an inpatient or treatment facility, but instead a community support service.

The center will offer a safe, supportive space for individuals recovering from substance use and behavioral health challenges, according to the news release.

Its services include recovery coaching, peer support and access to resources like educational and social groups. It will also provide resource referrals, life skills workshops, harm reduction services and community and social activities.

Guido said a community is only as strong as its social services and resources.

“I’ve seen there has been a continuous need for more mental health professionals and services,” she said. “In addition to a place for support when you are in recovery and changing your whole lifestyle.”

The center will be volunteer-driven. Guido said the community is rich with educated, compassionate folks who want to give their time and talent to teaching life and coping skills.

Keim said the center will be searching for a more permanent location while the church allows them to get going at its location for six months. Once the center finds its home, it plans to extend operating hours to better serve the community.

The center’s advisory board will be conducting a search for a permanent director. Candidates interested can access the job description by visiting latahrecoverycenter.com starting Feb. 11.

“Our Moscow effort has served as a catalyst for bringing a wide range of recovery resources to the community,” Keim said in a news release. “We hope the new Pullman center will do the same, creating a healthier, more connected community.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.