ORPRN’s Multi-Faceted Role in Supporting Oregon’s Behavioral Health System
Access to behavioral health care is one of the most pressing needs and highest priorities for communities across the nation. In Oregon, ORPRN is guiding strategic investments, building unique cross-sector partnerships, and educating our workforce to improve access to and quality of critical behavioral health services. We are always looking for ways to hone in on crucial aspects of systems changes that address community needs and accelerate progress across the state. ORPRN’s statewide reach, broad expertise, and adaptability allows us to partner on a variety of impactful projects.
Guiding Strategic Investments
- In partnership with Health Share of Oregon and the Oregon Behavioral Health Coordination Center (OBCC), we are building simulation models of current acute mental health systems in the Portland tri-county area and across the state. These models will support policy makers in identifying gaps and guide strategic investments to better meet the needs of people in acute mental health crisis.
- We work with coordinated care organizations to provide guidance for strategic investments in behavioral health systems. We help with workforce trainings, capital projects, harm reduction efforts, and recovery supports through health-related services (HRS) and Supporting Health for All through REinvestment (SHARE) Medicaid spending programs.
Building Unique Cross-Sector Partnerships
- Alongside providers, payers, and community organizations, we led the collaborative development of an In Lieu of Service. This allows coordinated care organizations to offer preventive or low-acuity behavioral health services to their members prior to assessment and diagnosis.
- Through deflection technical assistance, we connect counties, law enforcement, and behavioral health providers to create pathways for individuals to treatment and recovery support, instead of citing and arrest.
- We bring together coordinated care organizations, behavioral health providers, and early learning professionals to facilitate improved access to social-emotional health interventions and treatment services for young children and their families.
Educating the Workforce
- Oregon ECHO Network continues to offer critical behavioral health education for Oregon's providers. Offerings including annual sessions on Adult Mental Health and Child Psychiatry, and recurring sessions on Deprescribing for Older Adults and Substance Use Disorders in Community Settings.
- We’re grateful for new partnerships with OHSU and the Oregon Health Authority, leading to the development of even more connections, like the Behavioral Health for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ECHO last month. Keep an eye out for upcoming ECHOs on Integrated Behavioral Health, Practical Skills for Behavioral Health in Primary Care, and Autism & Attention-Deficit/Hyper-activity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults.
ORPRN is proud to support transformation at provider, organization, and systems levels across the behavioral health continuum of care. Together, we contribute to improving Oregonians’ access to much needed services. To learn more about ORPRN’s efforts in the behavioral health space, see our What We Do webpage.
- ORPRN Health Policy Team