VANCOUVER, Wash. — A former Elmer's Restaurant building in Vancouver has transformed into a health care facility to provide addiction treatment.
“I’d come here and have breakfast just over where group therapy is, I would sit and have pancakes,” said Victor Jackson, CEO of Columbia River Mental Health Services.
A new NorthStar Clinic is the brain-child of Jackson. When the Elmer’s closed he saw an opportunity at the location on Northeast 40th Street, just off Andresen Road in central Vancouver.
“We were already looking for a new location for these particular services. But I thought, what a wonderful opportunity; more private to get in and out, accessible in terms of public transportation. It just was a win. We won't have pancakes here, though,” quipped Jackson.
Before having funding in place the non-profit health care organization’s leader took a chance to buy the property and create a modern health care facility to help people hooked on opioids.
This clinic has six dosing rooms where people can safely get their medications to help them get better.
“From idea conception to opening the doors, we did it in a year's time, which is lightning speed. But we had to do it so quickly to respond to fentanyl being one of the main drivers of overdose here in our communities,” said Jackson.
He said the overall project, including purchasing the property, cost about $5-million, with $2.5 million eventually coming from the state of Washington and some of the balance being covered by private donations. Jackson said it was a team effort to create a new space out of an old Elmer’s that is welcoming to people who are suffering from addiction.
“We were really intentional about choosing esthetics that elevates that perception of the care, and then we'll match it with our staff who are obviously very qualified and very passionate about the quality of care that they deliver. I think when you come into this type of facility it says that you matter.”
The new facility is really NorthStar 2.0 because it replaces a smaller clinic of the same name that will cease operations. NorthStar 2.0 will increase clinic capacity by over 33% to help more than a thousand people a year. The new clinic should open in about two weeks.
Columbia River Mental Health Services operates several facilities in Clark County and provides mental health services and outpatient opiate use treatment, accepting all patients regardless of their ability to pay. It also provides additional resources and services for clients, including housing, employment, and case management.