mental health

Multnomah County Rebalances Budget to Account for $12 million in State Cuts

The state’s new funding formula for allocating money to counties for mental health services takes funding away from some counties, gives money to others
September 15, 2011—Multnomah County’s Board of Commissioners voted this morning to use $8 million of its one-time only money, general fund reserves and Verity funds to make up $12.4 million in state cuts affecting the county's safety net services. Read More >>

Advocates Urge Legislators to Reform Psychiatric Security Review Board

Under House Bill 3100, a state-certified psychologist or psychiatrist, not the PSRB, would evaluate people before they could plead guilty except for insanity.
May 17, 2011 -- Matthew Kirby has seen things he’d rather forget during his stay at the Oregon State Hospital (OSH). These days, though, he has reason for hope.
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Mental Health Groups Want to Preserve Advanced Directives

A bill characterized as an administrative fix has drawn opposition and a close vote in the House
April 29, 2011 -- A bill that would allow caregivers to ignore psychiatric advanced directives in certain cases of involuntary commitment has drawn opposition from the mental health community. After narrowly passing the House, it now moves to the Senate. Read More >>

Doubts, Warnings to Lawmakers Fill Transformation Testimony

Groups are worried about leaving some vulnerable populations behind and skeptical about alleged cost savings
April 28, 2011 -- Doubt and skepticism along with some strong warnings about revamping the Oregon Health Plan and other human services were heard loud and clear Wednesday night as lawmakers met to discuss House Bill 3650, the newly drafted healthcare transformation legislation. Read More >>

Symposium Focuses on Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs

April 25, 2011 -- Robert Whitaker, author of "Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America," returns to Portland on May 13-14 to focus on alternatives to psychotropic drugs. Read More >>

Mental Health Decisions Given More Leeway

House Bill 2375 would help people who need mental health treatment but cannot make such a decision by themselves.
April 25, 2011--A bill allowing people to make decisions for an incapacitated loved one regarding their mental illness passed the House by a 59-1 vote on Monday.
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City Club Report Critical of County’s Mental Health System

It recommends that the county turn over mental health services to a regional entity by working with the Oregon Health Authority
March 31, 2011 -- The City Club of Portland released an in-depth report of Multnomah County’s mental health system today which concluded that the county’s mental health system, which served nearly 30,000 people in 2009, is not patient-centered and is egregiously flawed.
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Book Sparks Mental Health Movement

A group of psychiatrists and mental health experts kicked off a national effort in Portland last month to improve the use of mental health drugs
March 15, 2011 – Gina Nikkel said she couldn’t read a book like Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic and not “do something about it,” she told a crowd at the First Unitarian Church of Portland last month. Read More >>

Concerns Cloud Transformation Team

As the group’s final meeting approaches, key questions remain unanswered
March 10, 2011--Those hoping to get a clearer picture Wednesday night of what Oregon's healthcare reform legislation might look like were sorely disappointed, as the Health System Transformation Team raised more concerns about process and received few concrete answers from the Oregon Health Authority and Governor John Kitzhaber’s staff. Read More >>

Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus to Focus on Budget Cuts

Sen. Suzanne Bonamici and Rep. Andy Olson will lead the caucus during the upcoming session
January 26, 2011 -- Mental health issues are complex, contentious, and continually debated in communities and congressional districts nationwide. In Oregon, where the incidence of mental illness is high but access to care less so, legislators from both sides of the aisle will hold caucus meetings in the hope of reaching consensus on mental health issues. Read More >>
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