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In this issue: |
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When Carli Cox picks up the phone, she never knows who will be on the other end, but she knows why she’s answering. As a Crisis Intervention Specialist for the Senior Loneliness Line, Cox is one of the voices providing support to older people in Oregon facing behavioral health challenges, including loneliness.
“The Senior Loneliness Line is unique,” Cox said. “It functions both as a warm line for friendly conversation and as a space for crisis support when needed. We get calls from people who just want to start their day with a voice on the other end, to others who are dealing with isolation, loss, aging related issues, and sometimes suicidal thoughts.”
The Senior Loneliness Line is funded by OHA for Lines for Life—an Oregon nonprofit dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide and promoting mental wellness. The line offers older Oregonians connection and emotional support amid growing concerns about social isolation in aging populations.
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This week, Oregon launches the return of its Summer EBT for children program, which gives families money to buy healthy food during the summer months when free and reduced-price school meals are not available.
Last summer was the first year Oregon offered this benefit, and about 362,000 school-aged children participated, with families receiving a total of $43 million to spend at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other places that accept EBT. Summer EBT is administered by Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) in partnership with Oregon Department of Education (ODE).
Things to know about Oregon’s Summer EBT for children program:
- Families will get a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child on an Oregon EBT card.
- Many children are considered “automatically eligible” for Summer EBT and do not need to apply. This can include those whose families participate in SNAP, TANF or the Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) and meet income rules, as well as children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. To see a full list of eligibility requirements, click here.
- Families that got Summer EBT benefits in 2024 through an approved application do not need to apply again. They will automatically receive the money on their EBT card May 22.
- For anyone who qualifies automatically, Summer EBT funds will be deposited on existing EBT cards May 22. Those who do not already have an EBT card will get one by mail.
- At least 336,000 children will be automatically eligible and enrolled in Summer EBT this summer.
- Other potentially eligible families will need to apply.
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Applications are due Sept. 3. (Eligible families will receive the full summer benefit as long as they apply by Sept. 3.)
To learn more about eligibility, and how and whether you should apply for Summer EBT food benefits for children, check out ODHS’s website for frequently asked questions, call 833-673-7328, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email summerebtinfo@odhs.oregon.gov.
NOTE: the Summer EBT is different from ODE’s “Summer Meals” program, which is for all children regardless of income and requires no application process, and families can participate in both.
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Health notes |
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If you’re planning to cool off in Oregon’s natural waters this summer, be aware that higher air temperatures can lead to toxic algae blooms in lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
In fresh water, the beneficial bacteria “cyanobacteria” are found worldwide. But in the right conditions—warm weather, sunlight, water temperature, nutrients and water chemistry—cyanobacteria can multiply into algae blooms containing harmful cyanotoxins that can make people and animals sick.
Symptoms of cyanotoxin exposure can include diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, numbness, dizziness and fainting. If you experience any of these symptoms severely or for 72 hours after exposure to fresh water, seek medical attention. Children and pets are particularly sensitive to illness because of their size and activity levels. Dogs can get extremely ill and even die within minutes to hours of exposure to cyanotoxins by drinking the water or licking their wet fur.
Stay out of water that looks foamy, scummy, thick like pea-green or blue-green paint, or where brownish-red mats are present (see pics here). Avoid swimming, water-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and other high-speed water activities in areas lakes affected by a bloom.
By being aware of signs of a bloom and taking appropriate precautions to reduce or eliminate exposure, visitors can enjoy water activities such as canoeing, boating and fishing, as long as boat speeds do not create excessive water spray, and fish are cleaned appropriately.
>>WATCH VIDEO: When it Doubt, Stay Out!
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OHA is inviting members of the public to share their thoughts next Tuesday, May 27, on the progress of what is known as the “SUD 1115 waiver.”
This waiver focuses on expanding and improving residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services in Oregon as part of the benefits available to Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) members. It accomplishes this, in part, by allowing Oregon to receive federal funding for these services in residential treatment facilities with more than 16 beds.
The other major component of this waiver focuses Community Integration—housing and employment support for people with SUD as they transition from residential treatment facilities back into the community.
Learn more about Oregon’s SUD 1115 waiver here.
Primary SUD 1115 waiver goals include:
- Improving health outcomes.
- Increasing treatment engagement.
- Reducing emergency and inpatient visits.
Join the forum and share your thoughts on the waiver’s progress toward these goals.
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WHO: Any member of the public
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WHEN: Tuesday, May 27, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
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HOW: CLICK HERE to register.
If you’d like to email your comments (or if you have questions about accessibility or wish to request accommodations), email sud.waiver@odhsoha.oregon.gov. Please write “SUD 1115 Waiver Post-Award Forum Comments” in the subject line. OHA will accept comments until 5 p.m., May 30.
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OHA answers your questions |
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Questions are answered by experts at OHA, other state agencies or community partners.
Q: Regarding nonmedical [vaccination] exemptions statistics, do you have a breakdown by county? – Jerri, Salem
A: Yes, our Oregon School Immunization and Exemption Rates data dashboard offers several ways to look at the data, including by county. If you want to know about kindergarten data, you can click on either the “K immunization” or “K exemptions” tab across the top and see an interactive map partway down the page that breaks down the data by county. You can search kindergarten data going back several years.
If you want to know about K-12 data, click on the “K-12 data” tab and you’ll see two maps, one showing the % of Oregon’s K-12 students in each county who completed all required vaccinations for the most recent school year, and one showing the % of K-12 students in each county who received a nonmedical exemption to one or more required school vaccinations for the most recent school year.
All data for kindergarten and K-12 students are also broken down by vaccine type.
NOTE: the main difference between county and statewide data is that county data includes only public and private schools, while statewide data includes online schools as well.
Q: Hi. My adult son has a serious mental illness. He’s currently hospitalized as he might not have been taking his medication as prescribed. My wife and I are his legal guardians. He’s in the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and was scheduled for a periodic interview but missed it as he had fully decompensated and was admitted to the hospital, thus missing his interview. What do we do? – Bob, Portland
A: Please contact us as soon as you can to complete the interview or reschedule it. As your son’s guardian you can establish "authorized representative" status with us to be able to complete these interviews on his behalf. There is a window of time after his renewal period starts when you can respond (even after missing an interview) before OHP benefits end.
If your son’s benefits already ended due to the missed interview, if we complete the interview we can still reopen benefits up to three months later without a new application. If that happens, be sure to request retroactive coverage to close any gaps. If it has been longer than that, you can reapply at any time and we can potentially cover medical bills in the last three months prior to the new request date. If there has been any disruption in your son’s OHP benefits, let the hospital billing department know once that has been resolved, or ask about the hospital’s financial assistance program if there is a gap in benefits.
If you have questions about health topics in Oregon, submit your question here. Although we are unable to answer every question, we try to address those of interest to a broad audience. Please understand that we are unable to provide specific medical advice for personal medical conditions.
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