On January 30, four state legislators, plus three legislative staff, joined AOC for a one-day intensive tour of mental health programs across Oregon counties. Departing from Clackamas at 7:30 a.m., the group first stopped in The Dalles where they were hosted by Barb Seatter with Mid-Columbia Center for Living and Commissioner Karen Joplin. From there they traveled to Heppner to visit Lakeview Heights and Kimberly Lindsay of Community Solutions; Commissioners Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay met with the group over lunch. Returning to Clackamas around 5:15, the day concluded with a tour of the Clackamas County’s Centerstone Clinic with Mary Rumbaugh and Commissioner Paul Savas.

The tour provided a great opportunity to showcase a variety of services in counties of different size. In The Dalles, visitors were able to witness a Parent-Child Intervention Therapy (PCIT) session. They were impressed by the homey feel of Lakeview Heights, the eight-bed acute care step-down facility in Heppner. Both stops provided a marked difference to the urban, strip mall setting of Clackamas County’s urgent mental health care clinic.

Legislative attendees included: Senator Steiner Hayward; Representatives Barker, Malstrom, and Meek; as well as Lisa Herzog from President Courtney’s office, Kristina Narayan from Speaker Kotek’s office, and Rep. Meek’s staffer, Marty Carty. Commissioners attending all or part of the tour included: President Bill Hall, Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris, Commissioner Paul Savas, Commissioner Melissa Lindsay, Commissioner Jim Doherty and Commissioner Jack Howard. AOC staff in attendance: Laura Cleland, Shelley Ena (LPSCC Coordinator), Stacy Michaelson, Jessy Rose (LPSCC Coordinator), Patrick Sieng, and Andy Smith.

The tour bore much fruitful discussion with the legislators, specifically regarding AOC’s work around the Stepping Up Initiative as well as funding and billing challenges faced by counties and Community Mental Health Programs (CMHPS). Sen. Steiner Hayward, Co-Chair of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Human Services continues to have follow up conversations with program directors and AOC staff as a direct result of discussions that occurred on the tour.

Contributed by: Stacy Michaelson | AOC Health and Human Services Policy Manager