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 April 1, 2024
In this issue...
Reflections from Oregon Health Authority's Child and Family Behavioral Health Director
The weather is warming up with flowers and trees blooming all over Oregon, dazzling us with their beauty and aroma. On April 26 we celebrate Arbor Day, which represents an opportunity to celebrate our connection with nature by planting trees.
Beyond the act of planting trees, Arbor Day fosters a sense of community engagement as individuals, schools, and organizations come together to beautify their surroundings and contribute to the health of the planet.
This celebration not only highlights the vital role trees play in purifying the air and providing habitats for wildlife, but also underscores the importance of preserving green spaces for future generations to enjoy. Look to your local county or city to find Arbor Day events in your area!
In combination with the spirit of Arbor Day, our community gathered to celebrate the growth of Nexus Family Healing and Madrona Recovery last month. Nexus will provide inpatient services for youth referred from juvenile justice who also need mental health treatment. Madrona, a substance use disorder treatment center for youth, has expanded their services to also provide inpatient psychiatric treatment. Keep reading for an in-depth look at these facilities.
Our partnership with Nexus and Madrona means more beds for Oregon youth to receive the services they need. We are committed to continue our work to eliminate health inequity by 2030. These openings are an important step in providing more available beds for residential treatment.
It was wonderful to be able to celebrate these accomplishments. These moments provide us strength for all the hard work ahead. As the community comes together to celebrate Arbor Day and the growth of these facilities, it reinforces the importance of preserving and cherishing our natural heritage and providing necessary services for generations to come.
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After an exhaustive multi-year search, OHA has contracted with Nexus Family Healing to provide inpatient services for youth needing intensive inpatient psychiatric services who are also in the juvenile justice system. These youth are either court-ordered into placement for Juvenile Fitness to Proceed Restorative Services or under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Panel of the Psychiatric Security Review Board (JPSRB).
Juvenile Fitness to Proceed Restorative Services, also known as “juvenile aid and assist,” are court-ordered services for youth found Not Fit to Proceed or Not Competent in their court proceedings. Most youth ordered to participate in these services get restorative services in the community. A small number of youth who need further evaluation and intensive inpatient psychiatric services in order to gain competency are ordered into OHA placement for these services.
The JPSRB monitors youth found “responsible except for insanity” of a delinquency or criminal charge. OHA administers contracts for JPSRB services including intensive inpatient psychiatric services at a hospital level of care.
Nexus Family Healing Walden Crossing is a six-bed facility located in Northeast Portland. Follow this link to see the virtual tour of the facility.
If you have any questions about Juvenile Justice, please contact Jessica Stout at jessica.stout@oha.oregon.gov.
OHA and the CFBH unit celebrated an exciting new expansion at Madrona Recovery for youth who need psychiatric residential treatment services (PRTS). On Friday, March 15, Madrona hosted an open house for the public and its many partners to see and tour the newly renovated facility which became an 18-bed PRTS facility in January. Previously Madrona had been licensed in Oregon strictly for youth struggling with substance use. However, with the expanded and upgraded facility, Madrona can serve youth with either substance use challenges, mental health challenges, or both (known as co-occurring disorders). This broader range of services means that Madrona can now help serve Oregon youth with the most complex psychiatric care needs.
In 2022, Madrona applied for a grant from OHA for this expansion project and was awarded $2.7 million. ODHS contributing additional funding to bring the project to fruition. To transform their facility to be ready for PRTS licensure, Madrona needed to completely remodel one of their buildings and make numerous upgrades to their other two buildings. In addition to the physical changes to their space, they needed to expand their workforce in order have a higher ratio of staff per client, as well as more licensed staff who specialize in psychiatric, clinical and nursing care. Several OHA staff from both the CFBH unit and the Licensing and Certification unit worked closely with Madrona’s Chief Executive Officer, John Thornton, over the last year to move step by step toward this important achievement.
John Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Madrona Recovery
The CFBH unit is proud of the work we have accomplished with Madrona to take this notable step in addressing the need for more PRTS services for youth in Oregon. Madrona’s Open House marked and celebrated this milestone with John and his staff, including their new executive director Paul Bryant. Paul came to Madrona this year from Kaiser Permanente where he had served as the Director of Addiction Medicine. In his remarks to the many guests and media reporters, Paul talked about how much the treatment needs of adolescents have changed over the last two decades and also how availability of inpatient and outpatient services have declined in the same time period.
 Paul Bryant LCSW, CADC III, Executive Director of Madrona Recovery
Paul said, "We are very excited about the opportunity to meet the fentanyl crisis in our community head on by providing safe, compassionate, withdrawal management [detox] services for adolescents in a residential setting. Our ability to provide substance use disorder services while effectively treating mental health issues and supporting families and caregivers is unique and really speaks to our mission of inclusive, integrated care for the youth in our community. Thanks to the strong partnership and support we have from OHA and DHS our beautiful new unit is open and building to capacity to serve as many youth as possible."
He emphasized the importance of building a full continuum of care so that youth and their families have strong supports after they leave a residential treatment center. Both Paul and John commented on the importance of being able to also have fun with their young clients in the course of providing high quality care. Madrona’s newly remodeled facility reflects their ideals of providing a safe, comfortable, and fun environment for youth to receive treatment. One small, and furry, example of this at the open house were the two resident goats who garnered much attention, laughter and smiles.
 Resident goats at Madrona Recovery
There is a critical need for support, guidance and effective strategies to address suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention for youth in Oregon. This new section in Holding Hope will offer monthly resources aimed at preventing youth suicide and fostering hope and healing for Oregon’s young people.
Free Course: Suicide Prevention and Intervention for Latine Communities
Faculty: Ruth Zúñiga, PhD | Daisy Bueno, PhD
Audience and instructional level
This training is intended for licensed psychologists and other mental health clinicians and practitioners. The instructional level for this training is from beginner up to advanced.
This three-hour engaging on-demand training for mental health professionals focuses on using culturally responsive practices to improve suicide prevention, assessment, and intervention for Latine individuals. The training emphasizes evidence-based practical tools and skills related to improving diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and clinical practices when working with Latine communities around suicide. Additionally, the training emphasizes sociocultural factors, values and practices related to Latine mental health.
Educational objectives
Identify the most common sociocultural factors that influence Latine mental health and suicide risk.
Apply knowledge and skills for developing culturally responsive practices and culturally specific interventions to address crises and suicide prevention with Latine individuals.
Describe the most appropriate, culturally informed, community-based and strength-focused tools that behavioral health clinicians can use to help Latine individuals who are in a crisis and present risk.
OHA has updated its fee-for-service (FFS) claim system to reflect the 3.4% Medicaid rate increase for services in the Behavioral Health Fee Schedule. The increase applies to behavioral health services provided on or after Oct. 1, 2023. For more information, please review the March 11 memo about the rate increase and the Behavioral Health Rate Increase web page.
For providers of adult mental health residential services, OHA and Comagine Health will adjust previously submitted claims retroactive to Oct. 1. OHA aims to complete this work by April 1, 2024. All other providers may bill for services provided on or after Oct. 1, 2023, as described below.
Adult mental health residential providers: Submit any unbilled claims for reimbursement, retroactive to October 1, 2023.
- Comagine Health has begun entering updated tier payment amounts for services billed using code T1020 into MMIS, for providers to bill immediately.
- OHA or Comagine Health may ask providers to rebill on the plan of care to receive the higher amount.
Other behavioral health providers: Bill new claims at the higher amount identified in the updated March 2024 Behavioral Health Fee Schedule.
Questions?
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About fee-for-service reimbursement: Please contact Provider Services 800-336-6016 (option 5).
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About the rate increases: Please email Medicaid Programs or visit OHA’s Behavioral Health Rate Increase page.
Helping teens recover from mental health issues, substance abuse is goal of Tigard's Madrona Recovery, Portland Tribune, by Ray Pitz.
Find events, opportunities, trainings and resources in last month’s posting. Many of these trainings are also on our website. We will send updates mid-month — Look for the next one in your inbox on April 15.
For feedback and suggestions for our newsletter and information: kids.team@oha.oregon.gov.
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