Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, in partnership with Coordinated Care Organizations around Oregon, is allocating $2 million to Community Counseling Solutions in Morrow County.
According to a press release Thursday, Jan. 4, the money is part of a one-time $25 million investment in youth behavioral health services around the state after an unexpected surplus in profits among the Coordinated Care Organizations, which are networks of prevention-focused, locally-based Oregon Health Plan, or Medicaid, care providers.
The governor directed the care organizations to determine projects throughout Oregon that could benefit from a single influx of money. Four projects were identified — one each in Douglas, Lane and Morrow counties as well as in the Portland area.
“Oregon needs more treatment options to help young people in our state who are struggling with serious behavioral health issues,” Kotek said in the press release. “The state and CCOs developed a plan to reinvest surplus Medicaid dollars into Oregon communities, and this partnership will support youth behavioral health projects that we desperately need.”
Portland will receive the most funding, at $13.5 million, for a project to expand the psychiatric residential treatment bed capacity at Trillium Family Services, which currently has a limit of 12.
Morrow County was the only recipient in Eastern Oregon. At $2 million, it will receive the lowest amount of funding — just under Lane’s $2.3 million — which will cover a funding gap for new psychiatric residential treatment beds for Community Counseling Solutions.
“At the request of the governor, CCOs quickly came together and agreed to make a collective $25 million dollar behavioral health investment for the benefit of all CCO members including a project in Eastern Oregon with Community Counseling Solutions,” Sean Jessup, CEO of the Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization, said in the press release. Jessup said he is excited to see the impact of this funding.
Oregon Health Authority Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke echoed Jessup in the release.
“I look forward to this partnership making a real difference in Oregon communities,” she said. “These investments will help spur and close projects that will propel the state forward in closing key program gaps that have been exacerbated by fentanyl in recent years.”
