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It’s been three years since we’ve published Recovery Times, a quarterly newsletter that provides a window into the work at Oregon State Hospital, which provides an essential and vital role in the behavioral health continuum by providing the highest level of psychiatric care in the state. We are here to provide stabilization, treatment, skill building and safety for successful and sustained community re-integration.
For the people who work here, their dedication to help others find their way to better mental health is at the core of everything we do. We take a team approach to recovery and many hands and hearts support the patients. People are at the center of what we do – whether it be patient, employee or community member. Our goal with Recovery Times is to share the stories of those people and to shine a light on what makes them special.
-OSH Superintendent Dolly Matteucci
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 Peter Greene's service dog, Booker, often provides him help before he even knows he needs it.
“To understand the impact Booker’s had on my life, you have to understand how messed up my life has been,” said Greene, a Gulf War veteran. “I rarely left the house. I hated the world and hated myself.”
Booker is one of the many dogs trained by OSH patients as part of the hospital's partnership with Joys of Living Assistance Dogs, a Salem-based nonprofit group that trains and places service dogs with people who need them.
The dog training program and other OSH job opportunities help patients develop transferable skills that prepare them to be successful in the community.
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 Every patient admitted to OSH receives an appointment at the OSH Dental Clinic to assess their dental health and identify pain or infections that could become obstacles to a patient’s recovery.
However, the OSH Dental Clinic staff go beyond preventing dental pain and infections – they build trust with patients so they can receive the care they need.
“Many of our patients are unhoused or have substance abuse issues and oral health has not been their top priority. There is severe mental illness that impacts them from getting care,” said Dr. Charles Rim, one of three dentists who provides care to OSH patients. “Sometimes it may take multiple visits to gain that trust and help them understand that by providing the urgent dental care they need, we’re able to remove the distractions of pain and infection so they can focus on their recovery goals.”
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March is Social Workers Month and at OSH, social workers play an integral role in supporting each patient from admission to discharge. No patient’s journey is the same and social workers help along the path of recovery.
One-on-one opportunities to help patients achieve their treatment goals is a rewarding part of working at Oregon State Hospital, said Rich Ryden, an OSH psychiatric social worker.
“The most fulfilling part of my job is finding out why patients are so hard to reach and helping them unpack the trauma that may come from years of living on the streets or years of living with other trauma,” he said.
As a social worker, Ryden advocates for patients both at the hospital and in the community to ensure their successful discharge and transition back into the community. Social workers also assess patients’ progress through the treatment plan and may provide therapy and skill-building exercises to help patients deal with mixed feelings about being discharged, Ryden said.
Learn more about social worker job opportunities at OSH.
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Dr. Clara M. Davidson is believed to be the first woman to practice medicine at Oregon State Hospital. This photo from an 1895 employee directory identifies Davidson as a “lady assistant physician.” She started her medical studies at the University of Oregon Medical School and completed her education at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (now Drexel University College of Medicine). By 1898, Davidson moved to the Newberg area and was the first woman to practice medicine in Yamhill County. She died in 1905.
Today, OSH takes pride in the diversity, leadership, and strength among our female physicians who support patients’ recovery through their work in our medical, psychiatric and forensic evaluation departments.
The OSH Museum of Mental Health is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 2600 Center St. NE, Salem.
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 Oregon State Hospital is the custodian of the cremains of those who died between 1914 and 1973 while living or working at Oregon State Hospital, Oregon State Tuberculosis Hospital, Mid-Columbia Hospital, Dammasch State Hospital, Oregon State Penitentiary and Fairview Training Center.
Hospital staff and volunteers continue the work of reuniting the cremains with family members and invites anyone who thinks they may have a family member who passed away at one of the institutions to search its online directory https://www.oregon.gov/oha/osh/pages/cremains.aspx.
Families who identify relatives on this list and want to claim the cremains should complete and submit the “How to Claim Cremains” form. Questions regarding the cremains can be directed to the OSH Health Information Department at 503-945-2976 or at osh.cremains@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
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The Oregon State Hospital Advisory Board includes community members, patients and staff and its work supports patient care, safety and security. As part of its role, the board may review state and federal laws related to OSH policies and procedures and make recommendations to the OSH superintendent, Oregon Health Authority and Legislature.
The board’s next meetings are at 1 p.m. March 16, May 18 and July 20.
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The Recovery Times is a quarterly publication that shares stories about the people and programs of Oregon State Hospital in support of OSH’s vision of hope, safety and recovery for all.
OSH serves a patient population that is traditionally marginalized, stigmatized and underserved, including many people with co-occurring disorders and those impacted by structural racism, and disproportionally represented in the criminal justice system.
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If you need mental health support for any reason, help is out there. |
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