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July 1, 2022
In this issue ...
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Summer is finally upon us, school is out, and hopefully the sun will follow! This Fourth of July is the same day as the aphelion, when Earth is the farthest it will get from the Sun for the entire year—specifically, we’ll be 94,509,598 miles away from our bright star. As we celebrate our nation’s independence, we can also take time to celebrate how far we’ve come, and how much further we must go. Last month we honored Juneteenth as a federal holiday for the second time, remembering the day in 1865 that freedom was proclaimed for enslaved African Americans in Texas, the last state to do so, two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. |
June was also Pride Month, and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, intersex, asexual+ (LGBTQ2SIA+) youth and families; with resources to support these communities.
OHA Director Patrick Allen said, “Summer can be a challenging time for our LGBTQ2SIA+ youth, particularly transgender and LGBTQ2SIA+ youth of color, who lose many of the supports they had access to the rest of the year. For youth, and particularly LGBTQ2SIA+ youth, having positive, affirming supports from their families and community organizations over the summer can make the difference between surviving and thriving.”
Several local, state and national resources are available for LGBTQ2SIA+ youth and families to thrive this summer.
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TransActive Gender Project at Lewis & Clark Graduate School Works to empower transgender and gender-expansive children, youth and their families in living healthy lives that are free of discrimination through a range of services and expertise.
- PFLAG offers quick tips to parents for supporting their LGBTQ2SIA+ children during the coming-out process. PFLAG also has nine chapters in Oregon, including in eastern, southern and central Oregon and the Portland metro area.
- The Family Acceptance Project works to increase family and community support for LGBTQ2SIA+ children and youth, decrease health and mental health risks and promote well-being. An Oregon page also is available.
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The Trevor Project promotes suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ2SIA+ young people. Public education materials are available on its website, and the organization recently published the results of its 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a number of resources for LGBTQ2SIA+ youth, and their friends and supporters, on its website. The CDC also provides professional development resources for teachers and school staff.
- The Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity at the University of Maryland aims to address disparities in mental health and substance use disorder treatment systems that affect the LGBTQ2SIA+ community. The center published a short video last year on basic terminology that is important for people to know when working with those of diverse sexual orientations or gender identities.
- New Avenues for Youth’s Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Center provides culturally specific support for LGBTQ2SIA+ youth.
This month let’s all get out in the fresh air to celebrate our interdependence, our individuality and our diversity as a community.
Chelsea Holcomb
Luis, at The Groove Cafe La Onda
Mental health promotion and prevention (MHPP) project staff across Oregon are deeply passionate individuals who work tirelessly to provide OHA-supported mental health-based projects and activities. Funded at $2+ million annually, these projects represent local public health agencies, culturally specific community-based organizations and coordinated care organizations from twenty counties in Oregon. The projects build awareness, normalize help-seeking behaviors, and lift up communities while the MHPP staff promote wellness, social connections, and healthy communities.
MHPP activities increase protective factors, prevent the development of mental health challenges, and improve positive mental health and wellness. Activities take place in a variety of settings, including community centers, local businesses, schools, online and in faith communities. Funds are often braided with other state and local dollars to maximize reach throughout each project’s region. National, state and local data, as well as existing partnerships, help the project’s efforts, some of which include:
- Behavioral health helplines that are culturally and linguistically attuned to support historically marginalized communities.
- Outreach, education and awareness to community members, local businesses, faith groups and schools.
- Suicide prevention, intervention, postvention and behavioral health trainings.
- Partnership with local schools to facilitate evidence-based social emotional learning activities.
May was Mental Health Awareness month, and this year, two wonderful MHPP projects were fulfilled. Marion County’s Mid-Valley Suicide Prevention Coalition partnered with more than 10 local cafes such as The Groove Café La Onda and seven high schools’ coffee carts, where they provided customers with mental health resources printed on coffee cup sleeves. Washington County put together a four-week advertising campaign including participation from community members in a 30-second ad “How would you check in with a friend who may be in trouble,” which aired on local networks, digital devices and online entertainment platforms.
For more information, please contact Fran Pearson at fran.pearson@dhsoha.state.or.us.
In the past few years OHA has funded several new tribal behavioral health investments; currently there are roughly 16 various investments within the agency. Oregon’s Nine Federally Recognized Tribes and the Urban Indian Health Program (NARA) receive annual funding to provide an array of Mental Health Services (MHS).
Tribes choose from six service strategies to develop their annual MHS plan, which include: Mental Health Promotion and Prevention, Jail Diversion, Supportive Housing and Peer Delivered Services, System of Care, Crisis Services and School Access to Mental Health Services.
Highlights from 2022 Tribal Mental Health Services Plans:
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Crisis Services: Psychiatric services for young children on the reservation, psychiatric nurse practitioner crisis services, and tribal collaboration with emergency rooms to assist with tribal members in crisis and follow-up care after hospitalizations (providing care coordination and mental health services).
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Jail Diversion: Tribal presence in county court and Department of Corrections to ensure an equitable approach and inclusion. Greater tribal involvement during arraignment (pre-booking and post-booking) and collaboration leads to better involvement and successful outcomes.
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School Access to Mental Health: Tribal Mental Health staff meet regularly with school staff to promote access to tribal services through referral. Also offered are youth summits, dissemination of prevention and postvention materials, conscious discipline training for tribal staff and community, and development of intervention programs.
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Supportive Housing and Peer Delivered Services: Individuals with serious mental illness are treated using a trauma informed method, reinforcing the “Housing First” approach which supports the longevity of treatment.
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Mental Health Promotion and Prevention (MHPP): Provides funding for a combination of tribal best practices and evidence-based practices that promote community involvement. MHPP leads to the reduction of behavioral health issues and promotes emotional wellbeing. Projects include: canoe journey, sweat lodge, round dance, drumming, regalia classes, language classes, naming ceremonies, grief and loss ceremonies, retreats, harvest activities and family nights.
The Tribal Mental Health Services Investment was one of the first programs funded by OHA and is overseen by the Child and Family Behavioral Health (CFBH) Unit. In an ongoing effort to expand services the CFBH team has given presentations on services and program implementation, including: Early Assessment and Support Alliance, Intensive In-Home Behavioral Health Treatment, Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) and Systems of Care (SOC). As a result of these presentations all nine tribes have received funding for SOC implementation and one of the tribes will be receiving funding for PCIT training. Additionally, all nine tribes and NARA receive youth suicide prevention/postvention funding.
For more information, please contact: Angie Butler at angie.l.butler@dhsoha.state.or.us.
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After an extensive search, the System of Care Advisory Council is pleased to announce the selection of Anna Williams as the council’s first Executive Director.
Anna will assume her role August 15. She is looking forward to leading the System of Care Advisory Council in a meaningful change process to improve service equity and access for Oregon children, youth and families.
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This includes elevating the voices of people who are using, or need services, and ensuring child serving systems work well for all people and communities across our state. Let’s meet Anna:
“Hello! I am excited and honored to take on the role of Executive Director of the System of Care Advisory Council in Oregon.
"As a former social worker, I primarily worked with survivors of domestic or sexual violence, youth in care, older adults and their caregivers, and people struggling with the challenges of getting appropriate services in rural areas. I have always looked to the clients as experts in their own experiences, and the ones who best know what they need to thrive. People living in challenging circumstances are resilient, creative and hard working. This mind-set drives my work and my hopes for the System of Care Advisory Council.
"The System of Care depends on the meaningful involvement of families and youth who are using these systems to drive improvement and change in the system. As we set out on this work together, I look forward to building a Council where youth and families have meaningful ways to share their experiences and challenges with SOC. It is my mission to make sure we use those stories to improve our systems or create new systems if we decide together that is the change that we need. Building on the strengths of the families using our system of care currently, we can work together to figure out what our systems should look like, how they should serve, and where there are opportunities to rethink how we’ve done things in the past and how we can do them differently (and better!) moving forward.
"I am not interested in maintaining the system as it currently exists simply because we’ve always done things that way, or because agencies and systems fear what the changes may mean for them.
"My vision for the System of Care Advisory Council is to become a place where youth and families who are involved in Oregon’s systems (schools, juvenile justice, mental and behavioral health, child welfare and more) feel welcome to share their experiences and their suggestions for improvement. We will know we have succeeded at this work when youth trust us enough to come to us with their concerns, we respond with action, and they report back to us that the change they needed has taken place. I will know we have succeeded completely when the System of Care Advisory Council is no longer needed in Oregon because our systems work together to ensure all children and youth have their physical, mental and emotional needs met within their communities, in ways that allow them to thrive.
"It is my honor to do this work with each of you, and I look forward to getting to know you and all you bring to this work as we take on this challenge together.”
Collaborative Problem Solving: Classes available at no charge to participants
OHA recently awarded funding to The Child Center to help families strengthen positive relationships and build the skills needed for success at home, at school, in the community and throughout life. The Child Center:
- Offers free Collaborative Problem Solving classes to people throughout Oregon . Sessions are once a week for eight weeks.
- Is focused on providing services to seven regions in Oregon that have limited mental health provider resources.
For more information, please visit The Child Center’s website and share widely with families and communities.
Eating disorder treatment training series
Eating disorders affect 30 million Americans and 95 percent of those affected are between the ages of 12 and 25. To address the lack of knowledge and expertise on this subject among health professionals in Oregon, we have engaged Therese Waterhous, PhD, RDN, CEDRD-S, owner, clinician and trainer at Willamette Nutrition Source, LLC, to offer a seven-month virtual training series. Therese will be joined by three guest speakers to address specific health equity considerations in eating disorder treatment. This training is made available through federal funding and there is no charge to registrants.
For more information, visit our website. You can register at Eventbrite. The training is open to all and you may register for as many trainings, including the entire series, as you like. The next lecture is July 13 from noon to 1:15 p.m. with Whitney Trotter, RDN, RN.
If you have questions or need more information, contact Kathleen Burns at kathleen.m.burns@dhsoha.state.or.us
Mental health approaches to Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) trainings
In September 2021, OHA sponsored a Mental Health Approaches to I/DD Train the Trainer event. Trainings are available for our community partners. If you are interested in hosting a training for your organization, please contact Jessica Stout at jessica.l.stout@dhsoha.state.or.us
Open Clinical Consultation (Intellectual/Developmental Disability and Mental Health)
OHA is sponsoring quarterly Open Clinical Consultation with experts from National Association of Dually Diagnosed (NADD) focused on supporting youth and families dually diagnosed with an I/DD and MH condition. This is a great opportunity for clinicians or other professionals working with this population to ask questions and get consultation around best practice for supporting dually diagnosed youth and their families.
If you are interested in bringing a case for consultation, please contact Jessica Stout at jessica.l.stout@dhsoha.state.or.us. Everyone is invited to attend and listen to the discussion and consultation.
Suicide Prevention Trainings:
Question Persuade Refer (QPR): QPR Training for Trainers
Virtual training
- Wednesday, August 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact QPR@linesforlife.org for more information.
Youth Mental Health First Aid: Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for Trainers
- June 7 through 9, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This is a virtual training with limited availability. If you are interested, contact Maria Pos at mpos@aocmhp.org.
Youth Suicide Assessment in Virtual Environments (Youth SAVE): Youth SAVE for Primary Care Providers
- June 27 and 28, 7 to 10:30 a.m.
- This is a virtual training with limited availability.
If you are interested, contact Youth.SAVE@oraap.org.
System of Care Learning Collaborative
Each second Tuesday of the month from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Oregon Family Support Network, Youth ERA and OHA facilitate a conversation for people involved with System of Care work.
Conversation topics include how to develop skills that center youth and families, how to be culturally and linguistically responsive and how to ensure services and supports are community-based. Bring your questions and a desire to learn and unlearn!
Contact Nat Jacobs at nat.jacobs@dhsoha.state.or.us for more details.
A Time for Families
A Time for Families is a weekly drop-in discussion hour for parents and family members hosted by Chelsea Holcomb and OHA’s Family Partnership Specialist, Frances Purdy. Join us Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m.
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Click here to join the meeting conference ID 676907 or
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Join by phone:1-669-254-5252 | Meeting ID: 161 993 2307 | Passcode: 676907 | One tap mobile: +16692545252,,1619932307#,,,,*676907#
Warmline
Reach Out Oregon, funded by OHA as part of Oregon Family Support Network, has a warm line at 833-732-2467, a website, a chat room for any family member needing support and a weekly virtual support group.
Emergency department usage
The overuse of emergency departments (EDs) as the pathway to inpatient psychiatric services and the high number of young people who wait for long periods in EDs for a bed, is an ongoing concern. The CFBH unit tracks data trends on young people who stay more than 24 hours in an ED, known as ED boarding.
We held two community conversations in May to share the July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2021, statewide data for utilization and boarding for young people aged infancy through age 25.
- The data show an increase in length of stay (LOS) for the year July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, a 25 percent increase on the previous period, along with a 16 percent decrease in stays longer than 24 hours for those seeking mental health treatment.
- During the same period, African American/Black youth have a disproportionally high rate of 24+ hour boarding, making up 9 percent of all 24+ hour boarding cases (they are only 1.9% of the population).
We welcome the opportunity to present this data to groups. Please contact hilary.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us for more information.
Capacity in the children’s psychiatric and substance use disorder residential system
The CFBH unit has been closely monitoring capacity at all Oregon Health Plan child behavioral health residential facilities since spring 2021. The goal of this work is to develop a centralized access process, so we know how many children and families need services. As a result, we can identify where capacity needs to be increased to support people with the right service, at the right time.
Goal capacity:
- Acute psychiatric and psychiatric residential: 286 beds
- Substance use disorder residential: To be determined
Operational capacity as of June 3:
- Acute psychiatric and psychiatric residential: 145 beds (60% operational capacity, 51% goal capacity)
- Substance use disorder residential: 28 beds (42% operational capacity)
Projected operational capacity: Acute psychiatric and psychiatric residential
- By fall 2023: 268 beds (94% goal capacity)
Mobile Response and Stabilization Services ($6.5 million)
Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) is a customized model of response for children, youth, young adults and their families from birth through age 20. OHA is establishing a new division of Oregon Administrative Rules to oversee MRSS and mobile crisis services.
- OAR 309-072-0000 is moving through the Rules Advisory Committee, receiving feedback from those with lived experience, providers, community members and partners.
- Once the new rule is adopted, details in Service Element 25a, which will oversee crisis response for youth, young adults and their families, will be solidified.
Additionally, the contracts for the 988 Call Center have been posted for public comment.
The CFBH unit, in consultation with partners, is in the final stages of creating a children and family specific-funding formula adapted from the Public Health Modernization Funding Formula to ensure that the $6.5 million investment is equitably distributed to Oregon counties.
- To determine how funds are distributed, the formula assesses factors impacting youth, young adults and their families in each county including children enrolled in foster care, rates of school absenteeism, emergency room utilization and Medicaid members under the age of 20.
- The money will help counties enhance their existing mobile response systems by hiring and training mobile response staff in best practices.
The enhanced Mobile Response and Stabilization Services are planned to be available throughout Oregon in January 2023.
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Services ($12 million)
In 2021, OHA’s Legislatively Approved Budget provided funding to support investment in treatment services for Oregon’s youth and families experiencing an intensive behavioral health crisis. In the same year, the Oregon Legislature through House Bill 5024 appropriated funds to OHA for the expansion of community-based residential settings for individuals requiring a higher level of care.
The planned Request for Grant Proposals (RFGP) will combine the funds to provide $12 million for the expansion of residential treatment capacity for children. The anticipated release is July 2022. The RFGP will be posted and accessible at Social Determinants of Health and Oregon Buys.
Restorative Services and Juvenile Psychiatric Security Review Board services
OHA continues to seek providers interested in working with this complex and dynamic group of youth.
- An organization would need to become, or increase capacity to become, experts in Psychiatric Treatment Services with a specialty in forensic support and collaboration with families and the court system.
- Young people receiving restorative services or under the Juvenile Psychiatric Review Board are generally dealing with a complex set of circumstances, and the work is both rewarding and challenging.
If you are interested in this work, please contact Jessica Stout at jessica.l.stout@dhsoha.state.or.us.
Young Adult Residential Treatment Homes ($9.2 million)
Developed in collaboration with the Intensive Services, Housing & Social Determinants of Health Unit, the Request for Proposal (RFP) focused on young adult residential treatment programs. The RFP is now in the final stage of the review process with the Office of Contracts and Procurement. This RFP focuses on:
- Centering health equity.
- Expanding the Young Adult Residential programs, including up to an additional 20 residential treatment beds.
- Developing a 10-bed Secure Residential Treatment Facility for young adults with higher acuity needs.
The RFP is expected to be released mid to late July and will be posted and accessible on Oregon Buys.
Interdisciplinary Assessment Teams ($5.7 million)
We continue to meet with community and system partners to assess the need of the Interdisciplinary Assessment Team project and creative ways to move forward.
- The context for this work has changed because of COVID-19. Staffing shortages and shifts in systems complicate how to move forward, however it has also led to many creative and promising ideas.
- We continue to consider demonstration project ideas with various system partners and hope to have more options available throughout the state.
If you are interested in this work, please contact John Linn at john.r.linn@dhsoha.state.or.us.
Join our team
The Health Systems Division is hiring experienced, passionate and skilled professionals who can help lead transformative work.
For feedback and suggestions for our newsletter and information: kids.team@dhsoha.state.or.us
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