New counseling office expands Salem mental health care

On Friday, co-founders, counselors and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce gathered to celebrate the expansion of therapy services in Salem. By the time they cut the ribbon, hundreds of people were already on the waitlist.

Brightways Counseling Group held a grand opening May 23 after renovating a building to add capacity for staffing and clients. Its offices will mostly serve those on the Oregon Health Plan, and several providers specialize in working with children and families.

It’s the latest expansion for Brightways, based in Redmond, which also has locations in Bend, Portland and Woodburn.

“We knew there was a big need here,” said Ryan Hutchinson, clinical manager of community care in an interview. He said that Salem has relatively few mental health providers for a city of its size. A recent statewide study found that Oregon’s high behavioral health needs outpace its availability to provide services.

A small team of around seven clinicians began seeing patients in Salem last August. Hutchinson said they worked through dust, plastic sheeting and the sound of hammers for much of the past year.

The current team’s specialties include trauma and grief, substance use, youth with developmental differences and foster children. They offer family therapy and have services in English, Spanish and Tagalog. 

The newly completed building at 2555 Silverton Rd. N.E. now features 22 offices, which they will expand their team to fill, he said. Clients, most on the Oregon Health Plan or Medicaid, come through direct referrals from local primary care doctors. 

Kendon Masterson, director of community care and development, said they had to stop reaching out to new referral partners in the community after about two weeks. 

“We were inundated with hundreds of requests,” Masterson said. “We only had access to a few rooms. Now that we have access to the whole building, we can bring clinicians here and get all those people into services.

The waitlist is about 400 people long, he said. 

Masterson said they’re continually monitoring potential cuts to Medicaid at the federal level, but plan to forge ahead.

“If Medicaid is cut, we’re still going to continue to support our clients,” he said.

Clients are all ages, starting with infants and toddlers, which Viri Pozos, a pediatric specialist, said is especially needed in the community.

Most of the second floor is dedicated to children and family therapy. One room features a wide range of toys so a therapist can watch how a child and parent interact during playtime. The therapist sits in a separate observation room with a glass window, and can speak to the parent through an earpiece.

Toys are an important tool in therapy sessions with children, where counselors watch how families interact during playtime. (Abbey McDonald/ Salem Reporter)

Pozos said mental health starts in utero, and an infant or toddler’s home environment and family relationships can impact the trajectory of the rest of their lives.

“It’s better to get in earlier, to have interventions,” she said. “Rather than just letting it linger.”

Pozos has worked with Brightways for four years, and said her work is a passion. She especially enjoys working in Salem, where she grew up.

“I love my community. I’ve always wanted to give back to my community,” she said.

There was a spirit of excitement at the ribbon-cutting, hosted by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. Chamber CEO Tom Hoffert spoke to the crowd about the importance of breaking down stigmas around seeking mental health care before Brightways co-founders Kevin and Angie Shaw made use of the oversized scissors.

“In everything we do, we believe in breaking down barriers and getting help to the community now,” Kevin Shaw said. “Our commitment is to, right now, help the Salem community. We’re going to do that today by cutting a ribbon and getting to work.”

Salem Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Hoffert speaks to staff at the ribbon cutting for the Brightways Counseling Group’s Salem expansion on Friday, May 23, 2025. (Abbey McDonald/ Salem Reporter)

A counselor’s office at Brightways Counseling Group in Salem. (Abbey McDonald/ Salem Reporter)

Brightways Counseling Group held a grand opening celebration of its new Salem office on Friday, May 23, 2025. (Abbey McDonald/ Salem Reporter)

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.

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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.