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 March 16, 2026
The Child and Family Behavioral Health (CFBLH) team at Oregon Health Authority (OHA) focuses on children and young people through age 25, and their families.
For youth, families and community: Discover opportunities to give us your thoughts and opinions, get support and training, and connect with each other.
For providers: Find trainings and opportunities to connect with other system providers and peers.
In this issue...
Corrections and updates
The March 2 edition of “Holding Hope” featured a story about the Trillium Family Services Community Benefit Award. The story mistakenly included a link attributing the award to Trillium Community Health Plan. That link has since been removed. Trillium Family Services created the Community Benefit Award with funding from OHA.
The March 2 edition also included an invitation to participate in community engagement sessions about mobile crisis response rules. Work on the rules has been temporarily paused. We will request further input as soon as the work resumes.
 Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) spring trainings
NHA is an evidence-based model that relies on a strength-based approach for engaging with youth, young adults and their families. The trainings are recommended for anyone who interacts with youth, including educators, peer support roles, counselors and parents. Feedback from previous training cohorts suggests participants have been able to incorporate the model into their practices immediately. Continuing education credits are available.
- Dates: April 15-16, 2026
- Time: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time
- Register here
For additional information, please contact brian.m.pitkin@oha.oregon.gov.
Town Hall: Black Youth Suicide Prevention
Everyone is invited to the Black Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition’s second annual town hall. The focus will be bridging gaps between schools and hospitals when addressing Black youth wellness and suicide. The event will be a time to celebrate and build community, hear testimonials, consult panelists and hear directly from consultants. This space is open to everyone. Students are strongly encouraged to attend so their voices can be heard and centered. Admission is free and food will be provided. The event is hybrid and guests are welcome to attend virtually or in-person. Please make sure to register, as in-person spots are limited.
- Date: March 21, 2026
- Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time
- Location: Virtual or in-person at The Space (2195 Hyacinth Street SE, Salem, OR)
- Register here
If you have any questions, please reach out to byspc@reapusa.org.
Free communications-focused technical assistance to promote 988
Across Oregon, organizations and providers play an essential role in strengthening access to behavioral health support. As part of the statewide 988 Oregon: Connect to Hope campaign, Coates Kokes (CK) is offering free communications-focused technical assistance to help partners share information about 988. This effort aims to grow awareness and trust in 988 by uplifting locally led, community-created content.
What support is available?
CK provides flexible, tailored communications support, including:
- Communications strategy and message development
- Graphic design (social graphics, posters, co-branded materials)
- Video creation
- Translation and transcreation
- Media and messaging training
- Paid promotion (social or local digital ads)
- Campaign toolkits and templates
- Dissemination strategies for outreach (flyers, mailers, etc.)
CK works directly with partners to create locally relevant, community-informed outreach aligned with your organization’s voice and audience.
How to get started
All requests should clearly promote 988, support understanding of how it works and reflect your organization’s trusted connection to the community you serve.
Training update: Be Sensitive, Be Brave for substance use disorder
OHA is collaborating with Community Connections Psychological Associates in the development of a new training for community helpers on substance use disorders and suicide risk. Anyone high school and older will be able to take this training to boost their skills in helping their family, friends and community members. We are specifically seeking your guidance to refine this training after two rounds of pilot-testing and the upcoming implementation of version 1.0.
If you would like to see a demonstration of the training, help with further development or become a trainer in the future, please click on the following survey: Guiding Our New Substance Abuse Community Helper Training
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the project leads: chrisweaver.phd@gmail.com and alexandralugophd@gmail.com
Focus groups on behavioral health integration within primary care settings
OHA is inviting pediatricians and behavioral health professionals to share insights on behavioral health care integration within primary care settings for youth. Your input will help inform statewide strategies to strengthen integrated care models across Oregon. Participation offers the opportunity to share your experiences and challenges providing integrated care and influence statewide strategies for youth behavioral health integration.
Who should join?
- Primary care providers
- Behavioral health specialists working in primary care settings
- Clinic administrators, Traditional Health Workers and anyone else who is interested
What’s next?
We are currently gathering interest to schedule virtual focus groups. If you would like to participate, please complete a short interest form. We will follow up with details once dates are set.
Please contact youth integrated behavioral health care program and policy coordinator beth.villard@oha.oregon.gov if you have any questions.
Save the date: Black Girl LIVE!
FaithBridge Portland invites you to save the date for the 2nd annual Black Girl LIVE! suicide awareness and prevention event for Black and Brown girls ages 12 to 17 and the adults who support them. Last year’s event hosted approximately 100 girls from Portland and beyond for education and celebration in an intentionally created space. The event is supported by OHA and intended to raise awareness, promote healing and offer access to culturally relevant resources and strategies.
Save the date: May 15, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: 2800 NE Liberty Street, Portland (University of Oregon Portland campus)
Updated resources for helping children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and co-occurring mental health conditions
The Link Center works to improve supports for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries and other cognitive disabilities who also experience mental health conditions. The resource library is a hub of information for anyone interested in improving the lives of children and adults with I/DD, brain injuries and other cognitive disabilities who also have mental health conditions. The materials are intended for a broad audience, including individuals with disabilities and their families, advocates and allies, policymakers, direct support professionals and clinical professionals. They also offer peer learning groups for clinical professionals and families.
Sources of Strength Showcase
You are invited to join Sources of Strength for the 2026 Sources Showcase. The Showcase celebrates the young people, educators, community leaders and change agents who make a difference in suicide prevention and mental health promotion, creating belonging and connection in their schools and communities.
Nomination applications for the Showcase opened March 9 and will close April 17. Contact Julian for nomination form at julian@matchstickpdx.com.
- Date: May 20, 2026
- Time: 4 to 5 p.m. Pacific Time
- Location: Virtual
Register here
Reach Out Oregon: Family support warmline
Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN) offers a free, family-centered support line to connect parents and caregivers to trained Family Support Specialists with lived experience of Oregon’s behavioral health system. The warmline is a safe, judgement-free space to talk parent to parent, get connected to resources and explore next steps. The warmline is not a crisis line. It provides support, validation, system navigation and referral support to help families feel heard and supported.
Visit Reach Out Oregon for more information or call 1-833-732-2467.
OFSN also offers free trainings for parents and caregivers. Visit OFSN’s training calendar for more information and current offerings.
Workgroup: Families leading children’s behavioral health policy systems
This group provides feedback for the work of the Child and Family Behavioral Health team and our strategic plan, which we have previously been calling our Roadmap.
- Date: The second Tuesday of each month, noon to 1 p.m. Pacific Time
- Upcoming meeting: April 14
If you’re a family member or caregiver, we welcome your input. It’s crucial to center the voices of those who have been historically marginalized and those experiencing developmental disabilities.
Help us improve Oregon’s child and family behavioral health system by telling us about your experiences
Join A Time for Families — OHA’s weekly drop-in hour for parents and family members.
Have questions about mental health and addiction services for children and young people? Want to share your feedback on how OHA can better support youth and families in accessing the right services?
The call is hosted by the CFLBH Director Chelsea Holcomb and the Children's Behavioral Health Policy Strategist, Hilary Harrison. A representative from the Reach Out Oregon Parent Warmline attends and is available to follow up with specific immediate concerns.
School-based mental health partnerships learning collaborative
Join us for a monthly learning collaborative covering topics relevant to school-community mental health partnerships. The purpose of the learning collaborative is to provide a landing space for community-employed school mental health partners to share strengths, challenges and creative strategies around providing mental health services and supports in a school setting. Learning collaboratives offer community with others who are supporting school mental health, including support and opportunities for innovation. The collaboratives will also include local, state and national updates related to school mental health. Please share this invitation with those in your school mental health networks.
Contact school-based mental health program and policy coordinator fran.pearson@oha.oregon.gov if you have any questions.
- Dates: 3rd Tuesdays of each month
- March 17
- April 21
- May 19
- June 16
- Time: noon to 1 p.m. Pacific Time
- Location: Virtual, Zoom
- Meeting link: Click here to join
Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN) workforce development training
OFSN offers workforce development trainings rooted in lived experience and family voice. Many of the trainings are free and offer continuing education credits. Some trainings support certification and coaching for Family Support Specialists working in Wraparound, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services, Intensive In-Home Behavioral Health Treatment and other community-based programs. Family Support Specialists can also access competency-based coaching specific to working in Wraparound and other child and family serving programs.
Visit OFSN’s training calendar for more information and current offerings.
Ongoing events, training and resources to support professionals working with infants and toddlers
The Oregon Infant Mental Health Association (ORIMHA) is a statewide network of parents and professionals committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of Oregon’s infants, toddlers and their families. Please visit ORIMHA for ongoing events, training and resources to support professionals working in the field of infant and early childhood mental health.
Visit ORIMHA’s monthly newsletter for updates or to learn more.
Trauma Informed Oregon (TIO) trainings
TIO is a centralized source of information and resources for trauma-informed efforts in multiple networks and systems, including housing, culturally specific care, mental health, education, juvenile justice, substance use treatment and others.
If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility or accommodations, please reach out to TIO.
Youth Era learning and development
Youth Era provides comprehensive learning, training and coaching opportunities for Youth Support Specialists across Oregon. For peers in recovery, Wraparound, drop-in center settings and more, Youth Era offers a wide range of training opportunities designed to uplift and sustain the youth peer workforce, offered at no cost. A growth-oriented coaching model emphasizes peer support for peer supports by creating a collaborative environment where specialists can learn from one another, strengthen their skills and foster resilience. Through both training and coaching, Youth Era empowers participants to thrive in their roles, reduce burnout and make a meaningful impact in their communities.
View all trainings and register online through Youth Era’s website.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Trainer Learning Collaborative
This space is dedicated to BIPOC instructors, facilitators and other trainers who focus on mental health, suicide prevention and opioid misuse, hosted by the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs.
The collaborative focuses on networking, learning best practices, increasing accessibility to relevant community-based trainings, and learning how to identify and decrease barriers to access. Please fill out BIPOC Collaborative Interest form to learn more.
Contact facilitator Canada Taylor Parker at canada.taylor.parker@multco.us with any questions.
Suicide prevention trainings
OHA funds a comprehensive range of suicide prevention trainings occurring regularly across Oregon at low or no cost. These programs equip professionals and community members with suicide prevention, intervention and postvention skills.
For more details, training dates and to access these programs, refer to our interactive PDF with all available programs and resources. Simply scroll over each program to be directed to the relevant web page. Each program provides practical, evidence-based approaches, and enhances skills in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention across a variety of settings and roles.
Metro area training resources
GetTrainedtoHelp.com is a one-stop pathway where anyone who lives and/or works in Clackamas, Multnomah, or Washington counties can access Mental Health First Aid education and suicide prevention classes. It is a collaboration among these three counties to empower community members with skills and information. Classes are free of charge.
OHA is dedicated to strengthening Oregon’s workforce by sponsoring a range of trainings scheduled throughout the year.
Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) training
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Parent Classes: These sessions are offered at no cost and occur once a week for eight weeks for families across Oregon. For more information, please visit The Riverview Center for Growth.
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Essential Foundations Training (formerly called Tier 1): A 15-hour training on using empathy-driven technique to address challenging behaviors in children. Register here.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) learning collaborative
For feedback and suggestions for our newsletter and information: kids.team@oha.oregon.gov.
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