AOC recognizes the responsibility of county governments to help protect and enhance the lives of its citizens and residents. The work of the AOC Health and Human Services Steering Committee is to foster innovation and collaboration on local public health, mental health, substance abuse disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities services and homelessness prevention and response. Counties have been at the forefront of implementing a comprehensive, integrated system of health and human services, encompassing evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery approaches. In recognizing and building upon existing social foundations, county governments serve as the link between federal, state and municipal policies and the delivery of critical services in ways that maintain and foster healthy communities, families, and individuals. The committee supports the work of counties through the lens of the state-county shared services model, and continues to advocate for partnership and collaboration at all levels of government.

Health and Human Services Summit

AOC health and human services summit meetings convene county governments and their partners to propagate local and regional solutions and to prepare concepts and coalitions for future legislative sessions. Oregon counties provide local, regional and statewide leadership on health and human services system design and planning. These summit meetings provide an opportunity for county commissioners to support one another and share experiences and successes in their role as community leaders of health and human services; identify common priorities and points of unity; and identify areas for further discussion/education, local/regional partnerships, coalition-building with affiliates and partners, near-term advocacy with state agencies, and legislative advocacy.

Health and Human Services Summit Meeting Materials

The Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) for Health and Human Services was established in the early 1990s to advise the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on department-wide policies and processes and to work with them to build integrated, community-based services.

Membership includes county commissioners and judges, the directors of DHS and OHA, at-large members, and representatives from the League of Oregon Cities, Conference of Local Health Officials, the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, the Oregon Juvenile Department Directors Association, Community Action Partnership of Oregon, the Oregon Association of Community Corrections Directors, Oregon Consumer Advisory Council, a local mental health advisory/alcohol and drug planning committee, and Coordinated Care Organizations.

Resources:

Bylaws (PDF)