Creating a person-centered behavioral health system that delivers better outcomes is cornerstone of OHA Behavioral Health Collaborative

On July 14, Oregon Health Authority Director Lynne Saxton convened the first in a series of meetings to be held over the next six months to develop an action plan for improving and strengthening Oregon’s behavioral health system in Oregon. A prioritized list of recommendations will go to the Legislature in November.

The collaborative includes 40 leaders in behavioral health from across the state and 10 leaders from state agencies who provide support for Oregonians struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders. Members represent a diverse group of stakeholders, including human services, education, housing, coordinated care organizations, commercial insurers, tribal health representatives, law enforcement and advocacy organizations.

“There is no greater privilege to me than working with this team to create a 21st century integrated behavioral health system for Oregonians,” said Saxton. “Our work will be informed by data and best practices, emphasizing cross-agency collaboration and culminate in prioritized recommendations to build an economically sustainable results-driven system for Oregonians.”

The collaborative will chart a course for excellence and sustainability in person-centered behavioral health services across systems. Over the past year, the Oregon Health Authority has collected data and engaged the community to build the foundation of information to define the current state of behavioral health services provided to Oregonians.

The next collaborative meeting is scheduled for July 28 in Portland. Because this is a working group, time will not be allocated for public testimony. 

More information about the Behavioral Health Collaborative can be found on the OHA website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/Pages/strategic.aspx. Public comment may be submitted by completing the form “Discussion Questions for Public Comment” and emailing it to [email protected]. For more information, contact Sarah Lochner, legislative coordinator for behavioral health programs, [email protected].