County will be part of federally-funded pilot project

Deschutes County will open a new behavioral health clinic this spring as part of a federally funded pilot project.

DeAnn Carr, deputy director of behavioral health for the county health department, said the county hopes to serve an additional 1,000 local residents over the course of the two-year pilot project.

The project is intended to address the gap between the level of conventional healthcare services provided to vulnerable populations and the level of mental health care available to those same populations, Carr said. While the county currently offers mental health services, Carr said the pilot project will allow it to better serve those struggling with addiction, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions.

Oregon is one of eight states selected to participate in the pilot project, and Deschutes County is one of 13 Oregon counties that will be taking part.

The demand for mental health services has been relatively stable in recent years, but still more than what the existing clinic can handle, Carr said. She said clinics saw a jump in demand a few years back with the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the associated Medicaid expansion, which allowed people who might not have been in a position to seek mental health services previously to do so.

In order to have the clinic up and running by the projected April 1 start date, the county plans to hire 29 new employees within the next eight weeks. The county will not need additional office space.

Carr said hiring for limited-duration positions can be difficult, but health care workers frequently find working on a pilot project to be an enjoyable challenge that looks good on a résumé.

Although the county will not have the funding to maintain the added position after the pilot project is over, Carr said she expects county residents will be left with a more efficient health department.

She said the county will be looking to increase its collaboration with community partners, particularly groups working with seniors and veterans, and improve how it collects information and tracks outcomes for individual patients.

By: Scott Hammers | Jan 14, 2017 | The Bulletin | Original source