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Friends and Neighbors,
 The House District 30 Team Stands Together against racism, bigotry, violence and hate. From left to right: Lily Donis, Mark Watson, Janeen Sollman, Nickole Vargas and Olivia Vargas.
Black Lives Matter. The violence against our Black neighbors, family, friends, and community members must stop. Police violence against Black and Brown communities, systemic racism and the divisive language from the President encouraging violence against protesters, must stop. I applaud people filling the streets, disrupting traffic, gathering safely to stand up for justice, continuing to raise their voice to address the much-needed change we must aspire to. Too many lives have been lost. Too many countless acts of violence have been injected into our communities due to bias, bigotry and hate.
I support the right to peacefully protest. To stand up for a cause or a change in action that you believe in. I have stood with the North Plains community when we lined the sidewalks for Black Lives Matter unity. I stood with my community in Hillsboro at the Civic Center that was filled with peaceful protesters that kneeled in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as a symbol of the police brutality associated with the killing of George Floyd. It is our right to do so. That is democracy. To march, to stand or kneel to make your point seen and heard. It is what my military family served for, our freedom.
I do not confuse the many that march peacefully with the few that are causing property damage or engaging in violent acts. I feel the disproportionate attention and media focus on those that choose to engage in violence, attempt to divert from the purpose of our uprising, Black Lives Matter. I do not support violent acts against protesters, law enforcement officers or innocent bystanders. The violence must end. I have seen the ways that an overly militarized police force can ratchet up the tension and violence at otherwise peaceful protests, using tear gas and explosive munitions against people exercising their right to speech and to peaceably assemble. We are better than this. We must listen. We must continue to learn from each other. We must act for positive change.
In addition to passing legislation to address police accountability, we need to make sure we are also investing in ways that can address other forms of non-policing public safety and community support measures, such as mental health support, youth services, and education. Many states are looking right here to Eugene, Oregon for answers. The CAHOOTS Program has a long history of success and people are taking notice.
CAHOOTS-Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets
Information provided from the CAHOOTS website.
31 years ago the City of Eugene, Oregon developed an innovative community-based public safety system to provide mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. White Bird Clinic launched CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) as a community policing initiative in 1989.
The CAHOOTS model has been in the spotlight recently as our nation struggles to reimagine public safety. The program mobilizes two-person teams consisting of a medic (a nurse, paramedic, or EMT) and a crisis worker who has substantial training and experience in the mental health field. The CAHOOTS teams deal with a wide range of mental health-related crises, including conflict resolution, welfare checks, substance abuse, suicide threats, and more, relying on trauma-informed de-escalation and harm reduction techniques. CAHOOTS staff are not law enforcement officers and do not carry weapons; their training and experience are the tools they use to ensure a non-violent resolution of crisis situations. They also handle non-emergent medical issues, avoiding costly ambulance transport and emergency room treatment.
A November 2016 study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine estimated that 20% to 50% of fatal encounters with law enforcement involved an individual with a mental illness. The CAHOOTS model demonstrates that these fatal encounters are not inevitable. Last year, out of a total of roughly 24,000 CAHOOTS calls, police backup was requested only 150 times.
The cost savings are considerable. The CAHOOTS program budget is about $2.1 million annually, while the combined annual budgets for the Eugene and Springfield police departments are $90 million. In 2017, the CAHOOTS teams answered 17% of the Eugene Police Department’s overall call volume. The program saves the city of Eugene an estimated $8.5 million in public safety spending annually.
To learn more about the CAHOOTS program and see all their recent updates and news stories, visit their website here.
Hawthorn Walk-In Center
Information provided from the Hawthorn Walk-In Center website.
Here in Hillsboro, Washington County operates the Hawthorn Walk-In Center. They provide urgent care services for mental health and addiction concerns. Per their website, appointments are not necessary, but if you would like to make one, or if you need help during hours they are closed, please call the 24-hour Washington County Crisis Line at 503-291-9111.
Services at the Hawthorn Walk-in Center include assessment; crisis counseling and education regarding mental health and addiction; peer support; and connection to treatment providers and other social services. There is no out-of-pocket cost for seeking help at the center. If you have insurance, we may bill for the service. If you are uninsured, there is no cost. The center is professionally staffed by Lifeworks NW. Compassionate assistance is provided by counselors and trained peers who have lived experience with mental health challenges and/or addiction.
Visit these pages for location and hours, services provided and frequently asked questions.
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Oregon Cares Fund Updates
The Oregon Cares Fund for Black Relief and Resiliency, to support Black Oregonians and their businesses, is now live and accepting applications. The $62 million allocated by the Emergency Board in the July 14, 2020 hearing has had over 7,000 applicants in 4 days, according to this article by the Oregonian. Visit the Contingent or the Black United Fund for more information on how to apply. All grants must be awarded by December 30, 2020.
Education Updates
Liberty High School Environmental Science Building
I had a fantastic visit this week to Liberty High School to visit their Enviromental Science building that was built by bond dollars to support Career Technical Education programs. Thank you to teachers, Paul Lardy and Kevin Crabtree, for taking so much time to show off a Hillsboro School District gemstone. Sustainable AG, Sustainable Design Construction, Environmental Science, Intro to Horticulture, Discovering Natural Resources are the various classes taught in the building. These teachers are passionate and true to their craft. I was so jazzed to have this tour. I'll be back for more in the future. #ProudToBeHSD
  Department of Employment Updates
Here are links from the department’s updates from Wednesday that you may find helpful. This information was provided from the department.
Highlights:
BENEFITS paid to Oregonians from March 15-August 2: $4 billion
- Regular Unemployment = $1.3 billion
- CAREs Act extra $600/week = $2.4 billion
- PUA = $127 million (without FPUC)
- Work Share = $54 million
- PEUC = $58 million
LWAP – We have applied for the Lost Wages Assistance program grant through FEMA, which provides $300 in benefits for 3-5 weeks. How long the funds will last for states is uncertain and it ends when funds are gone, of concern is that natural disasters may deplete funds quicker.
Webinars – This week’s webinar is focused on back to school/school related issues. School employees who have questions about filing for benefits, and parents unable to work because their kids are in remote learning, are invited to join. As always, the webinar will be recorded and shared online afterward, on our YouTube channel and on social media.
Website – We are getting more resources to more people on our website.
- Remember people can use the Contact us form on the website instead of trying to reach us by phone.
- People who need language assistance can contact the Employment Department by email at OED_LanguageAccess@oregon.gov or call the language line or call 503-606-6969.
- The new website is available in Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese with more languages on the way.
- The PUA online form is up in Spanish, with Vietnamese and other languages on the way.
Modernization - We continue working to advance our modernization project. We have built a talented team of leaders, project managers and experts and will continue reporting out on our progress over the coming weeks and months. We understand the urgency of modernizing so our systems can better support Oregonians. We are committed to doing this, and doing it well.
Claims - There are still too many claims that have issues on them and have not been paid, or have not been fully paid – the issues vary widely. For regular unemployment claims, the biggest issue is adjudication. For PUA, a major issue is determining if the reason they are not working is due to a qualifying COVID-19 impact reason.
- To help with what are now the biggest challenges, we have the National Guard continuing to assist and focused on these areas and we have 50 additional contracted people, in addition to all of our newly hired and seasoned adjudicators.
- Every new program and every new process, takes dedicated time to gain proficiency. That is why we started the Benefits While You Wait to allow us to pay benefits while a person’s claim is being reviewed by an adjudicator. We are contacting claimants who we think qualifies for this program.
Community Outreach
Oregon Overnight Camps Open for Family Overnight Rentals
Traditional overnight Summer Camps look a little different this year during the pandemic. Several have opened their cabins for families to rent and there are still opportunities available.
OMSI Camp Gray
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OMSI is offering cabins for rent at Camp Gray to OMSI members and the general public. Cabin rentals are open for 2-night, 3-night or 4-night stays through mid-November. There is a 2-night minimum. Visit here for more information. |
Camp Namanu
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Camp Namanu is offering rentals in lieu of youth overnight camp this summer and is taking requests for September and October. Visit here for more information. |
 Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
Next week will be the last week of COVID-19 Updates via our newsletters until after the election. We have a blackout period on sending our newsletter communications two months before an election. You can reach out to me anytime, however, by calling my office at 503-986-1430, emailing me at rep.janeensollman@oregonlegislature.gov, or following me on social media.
Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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