September declared National Recovery Month by Thurston County officials

Community partners applauded local officials for their commitment to behavioral health on a day that served as a reminder that prevention and treatment efforts work.

The month of September was proclaimed National Recovery Month by the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

National Recovery Month, which started in 1989, is observed across the nation every September and is backed by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“Behavioral health is essential to overall health and well-being, and the resolution affirms that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover,” the proclamation states. 

The county said millions of Americans and their families are impacted by substance use and mental health disorders, yet many individuals forego treatment because of stigma, shame or inadequate access to care.  

Through the proclamation, the county honored the 2025 national theme, “Every Person, Every Family, Every Community,” and echoed that recovery is possible for everyone and that each role in the community helps build resilience. 

It further recognized the contribution of counselors, peer support specialists, medical staff, researchers, volunteers and advocates who expand treatment options. 

Recovery 

The board heard comments about how recovery should be seen as a process and not reduced to a single model. 

Professionals said it unfolds through stages, from treatment to reintegration. They stressed that the county's involvement has been effective and efficient in strengthening coordination among agencies that respond to addiction. 

Hannah Klimek, Outreach Coordinator for the Chehalis Tribe’s Hope and Healing Clinic, said the Tumwater-based facility provides outpatient care for people with opioid use disorder.  

She said the clinic develops individualized treatment plans that integrate medication for opioid use disorder, behavioral health therapy, peer support and relapse-prevention strategies. 

In June, the clinic launched a mobile unit in downtown Olympia, co-located with Franklin Street Harm Reduction and the Thurston County Syringe Services Program. 

“This location has been transformative because it places us directly in the heart of where people are already seeking support, connection and care,” she said.  

The low-barrier model, she explained, allows people to meet the team and begin care the same day. She said the site has unified harm reduction, peer programs, and treatment providers, eliminating silos that once separated services. 

The Hope and Healing Clinic also operates at 9474 Lathrop Industrial Drive SW in Tumwater and provides transportation and telehealth access. 

Community

Thurston County Resource Hub Operations Coordinator Carolina Hershey lauded the board for its support. The resource hub, which is located at the Thurston County Courthouse Complex, is a resource center for people with behaviorial health needs.

Hershey said the hub provides a place where people can quickly connect with housing, health care, employment, education, legal support and behavioral health services. 

“We operate on the understanding that the keys to recovery are connection, self-efficacy and community,” Hershey said. “Compassion and community are not optional ingredients to recovery. They are the base and foundation of it.” 

She called recovery “one of the boldest and bravest choices you can make” and “a radical act of self-love and selflessness.” 

Speaking as a person in recovery, Hershey said visible examples matter in times of uncertainty and fear. 

The board, in passing the proclamation, appealed to the public to reinforce recovery programs, participate in awareness campaigns, and uphold a pledge to a “healthy and compassionate society.”