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 April 1, 2026
In this issue...
Reflections from Chelsea Holcomb, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Child, Family and Lifespan Behavioral Health Services Director
Hope is often described as a feeling, but in behavioral health we understand it as a skill — habits, mindsets and behaviors that strengthen with practice. It isn’t unrealistic optimism or pretending everything is fine.
Hope is the ability to set meaningful goals, look for a path forward even when obstacles appear and reconnect with motivation on hard days. It is seeing setbacks not as failure, but as part of learning.
Hope grows through intentional use, just like any other skill and importantly, it spreads. Humans naturally mirror one another, so when we witness someone take a small step, try again after disappointment or speak to themselves with compassion, we feel permission to do the same.
Practicing hope together can be simple: naming something we are working toward, celebrating small progress or sharing a moment we overcame a challenge. When we cultivate hope consistently, we strengthen our resilience and help others feel steadier. Hope becomes a shared practice and a quiet form of leadership.
Many of you know that I lead with hope. I see it daily in both the small and large changes we make to move children’s behavioral health forward. Below, you will read that the Youth Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) Mental Health Summit continues to grow, we celebrate mental health acceptance and our suicide prevention work continues to save lives.
My hope is that we add something positive to your outlook today — and that you pause for a moment to reflect on your own reasons for hope.
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The annual Youth I/DD Mental Health Summit is scheduled for Aug. 5, 2026. This event brings Oregonians together to support youth who experience both intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health challenges.
This year, the team is trying a new approach to help break down barriers between systems. The Summit will focus on learning together and sharing what people already know. Attendance will be in-person only so participants can build stronger, lasting connections.
Instead of inviting a speaker from out of state, the Summit will offer more shared learning activities and tabletop conversations. Interactive breakout sessions will encourage group discussion and give people tools to take action. Presentations will include insights from people with lived experience.
More details, including a registration link, will be shared in a future issue of Holding Hope.
Do you have an idea for a presentation to share? Submit a Request for Proposal here.
Save the date: Aug. 5, 2026
Location: Oregon State University Alumni Center, Corvallis
OHA is committed to supporting clinicians who provide behavioral health services to infants, toddlers, young children and their caregivers. As a part of this, we have released an updated version of the Oregon Early Childhood Diagnostic Crosswalk. This guidance document is designed to help behavioral health providers make developmentally appropriate diagnoses for children from infancy to age 5.
Early identification makes a meaningful difference in a child’s long‑term health. Taking time to review this updated guidance is one simple way to strengthen the care you provide to our youngest Oregonians. For those looking to go deeper, please explore the following resources:
Other early childhood support for early childhood behavioral health includes training and resources that highlight evidence-based and promising practices. Early experiences play a big role in how children grow. Warm and responsive relationships help children build strong social and emotional skills. Trauma or neglect in early childhood can create long term challenges that affect learning and physical and mental health.
Oregon Family Support Network invites you to join them for this year's Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Day celebration. The annual event helps people understand why support for children with behavioral, emotional and mental health challenges matters. The event is taking place in two parts.
- “Joy in the Journey” will take place at the Salem Riverfront Carousel and include food, free carousel rides, a resource fair and other activities.
- “Celebrate the Sunshine” will take place at Eugene’s Skinner Butte Park with food, crafts and other activities. Both events are free to all families.
Joy in the Journey:
- Date: May 9, 2026
- Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Location: Salem Riverfront Carousel, 101 Front Street Northeast, Salem
Celebrate the Sunshine:
- Date: May 16, 2026
- Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Location: Skinner Butte Park, 248 Cheshire Avenue, Eugene
Oregon Family Support Network’s colorful resource table at a past Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Day event
The Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs (AOCMHP) and OHA recently announced that their contract to staff the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide (Alliance) will end in June 2026. OHA will post the opportunity for others to bid for this work in late spring 2026. As the Alliance enters a new chapter, OHA recognizes the leadership, care and passion that has shaped its work over the past decade.
AOCMHP Executive Director Cherryl Ramirez has been pivotal in strengthening suicide prevention work across Oregon. With her leadership, the Alliance moved important policy forward, secured needed funding and improved collaboration across the state. Ramirez and her team fostered an inclusive approach from the beginning, inviting people to contribute ideas and seeking outside voices to help develop policy and recommendations to OHA. Their efforts led to expanded workforce training, stronger legislative partnerships, sustainable funding and solutions shaped by community voice.
“AOCMHP has had the honor of hosting and staffing the Alliance to Prevent Suicide for nearly 10 years. Together with the Oregon Health Authority, we planted a seed of a movement and nurtured its growth with numerous partners across the state. It has been a pleasure to work with a strong suicide prevention network in Oregon, and we cherish the close ties we have built with suicide prevention, intervention and postvention coordinators, suicide prevention coalitions and advocacy organizations. As we pass the torch to the new host, we wish the best for continued success in the pursuit of the Alliance to Prevent Suicide mission to promote hope, help and healing.”, said Ramirez.
“When the Alliance came into being, it felt like there were only a few players in suicide prevention. It was OHA, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and us,” said David Westbrook, CEO of Lines for Life. Because of the Alliance, those early partnerships grew into a broad, multi-sector coalition united around prevention and community-driven solutions.
OHA thanks Cherryl Ramirez and the many AOCMHP staff for their leadership and ongoing commitment to building connection, hope and support across Oregon. The work of the coalition continues and will build upon the incredible efforts put forth through this team.
AI and Mental Health: What Should We Watch Out For?
TIME Magazine recently published an article that looks at the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for mental health support. Many people turn to chatbots because they are easy to access and available anytime. However, experts are raising concerns about relying on AI for help with serious emotional or mental health issues.
The article explores possible risks, including the chance that people may receive advice that is not accurate, safe or based on real clinical care. It also highlights why human connection still matters, especially for young people and those dealing with stress, anxiety or big life challenges.
If you’re interested in how technology is changing mental health care, this piece offers a clear and balanced look at what AI can and cannot do.
Find events, opportunities, trainings and resources in last month’s posting on our newsletter page. Many of these trainings are also on our training opportunities page. 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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