Clinic is set to open Aug. 26

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 13, 2026

SEQUIM — Jamestown Salish Seasons, the voluntary psychiatric evaluation and treatment clinic at 706 S. Ninth Ave., is set for a grand opening Aug. 26 followed by a soft launch for accepting its first patients on Sept. 28.

Clinic Executive Director Matt McKnight said administrators estimated an opening date between July and August, but its opening has been pushed out mostly due to ongoing discussions with the state.

“Jamestown Tribe is doing something pretty bold and different and new right now, and for regulators, that could be challenging for them to kind of wrap their mind around a brand new system or program,” he said.

“The other aspect of that is that right now with the (state’s) budget shortfalls, it can slow things down significantly. There are other tribes also trying to launch bold and inventive brand new healthcare programs that are facing similar challenges.”

McKnight said they’ve been negotiating with Washington’s major Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) about reimbursement rates as well.

“We’ve solved the major hurdles,” he said. “Everything is moving ahead quite nicely, and now it’s full steam ahead, and we’re focused on a hiring ramp-up.”

Job fair set

The tribe has set a job fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Jamestown Salish Seasons. It will be seeking to fill about 30 positions at the clinic, mostly entry-level positions, such as custodial maintenance, treatment coordinators, cooks and recovery specialists.

Other positions will be offered for its other clinics, too.

Specialized positions are currently listed on Salish Seasons’ website, jamestownsalishseasons.org/careers, for four registered nurses and two psychiatric nurse practitioners.

McKnight said in a previous interview they’ll look to have a higher ratio of staff to patients at night to ensure safety and comfort.

Cindy Lowe, a senior adviser for Jamestown, said they’re offering a job fair to “highlight that Jamestown Healthcare (JCARE) has different types of healthcare jobs for people and maybe a little something for everybody.”

“We just thought a job fair would be a fun way to get the word out and be an opportunity for people to come in person and see the facility where they could potentially see themselves working and to do maybe on-site interviews,” she said.

“But we are lucky that we do not struggle to fill positions in our healthcare division.”

Lowe said many new staffers say during onboarding interviews that they believe Jamestown is invested in taking care of its patients and the community.

“I think that we just do a really good job taking care of our staff and making it fun and collaborative to work here,” said Shelly Tweter, JCARE marketing and communications manager.

“It really is a great place to work. It’s easy to onboard people because they’re excited to be here and our retention rate is amazing.”

McKnight said there will be a four-week comprehensive training starting Aug. 31.

The clinic

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe leaders broke ground on Jamestown Salish Seasons (JSS), a $31.25 million project, in October 2024 next to their Jamestown Healing Clinic, a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic.

JSS will offer 24/7 care, 365 days a year that requires everyone to be buzzed in or out by staff to enter or exit.

Patients are anticipated to be from Clallam and Jefferson counties and tribal citizens of Washington’s recognized tribes, McKnight previously said. They will be people who are experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms such as depression, typically suicidal, and those who cannot meet their basic needs of health and safety.

Patient stays will vary. McKnight previously said stays will tentatively be about two weeks, but he noted they’ll be “heavily individualized,” depending on stabilization. Efforts will be made to ensure patients have good environments and resources before they are discharged.

The clinic is the first tribally owned and operated psychiatric evaluation and treatment clinic in the state, JSS administrators said, and it’s also unique for operating on a voluntary intake process as most evaluation and treatment clinics are by involuntary admissions during which a patient has been placed on a hold by a designated crisis responder or from a court order.

McKnight said they continue to hear the same message from the community and from tribes that “there is a massive lack of voluntary inpatient health services for those who have mental health problems in Washington state.”

“So, Jamestown is stepping up to the plate to provide that service,” he said.

Administrators previously said they’ve sought a voluntary option because it felt wrong to force people into treatment and because there’s a large lack of voluntary options in Washington.

McKnight has said there are more involuntary options because patients who have a court order or a designated crisis responder hold are guaranteed payment for their stay. For voluntary admissions, he said it’s more complicated because insurance providers may not cover costs.

McKnight said they’ve negotiated a reimbursement rate based on their annual operating budget for 16 beds that is a “true cost base rate that you need to get per patient per day to pay for the facility, to staff it, to feed the patients, to make sure all patients get medications and treatment services.”

Similarly to the Jamestown Healing Clinic, administrators said they’ll slowly ramp up operations for Salish Seasons.

Korsmo Construction is leading construction efforts with its design by Rice Fergus Miller.

For more information about Jamestown Salish Seasons, email info@jamestownsalishseasons.org or visit jamestownsalishseasons.org.

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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.