To ensure that these investments meet community needs, the Legislature set aside $5 million in funds for one- time planning grants to be distributed by the Oregon Health Authority to community mental health programs, tribes, Regional Health Equity Coalitions, CCOs, and other community grantees. These funds will support partnerships among community-based organizations, counties, CCOs, and other entities to identify the current gaps in housing and facility-based residential services for people with behavioral health needs and make recommendations for how to best invest the funds from the appropriation. OHA will grant up to $50,000 per awardee.

Additional information about "RFGP 5250 Planning Grants to Support Elimination of Behavioral Health Inequities" can be found on Oregon Buys. A webinar was hosted on Aug 23 by the OHA for potential proposers to learn more and a second webinar is scheduled for Monday, August 30 from 5:15pm to 7pm. Below is the login information.

ZoomGov link

Meeting ID: 160 209 7257

Passcode: 319743

OHA will work in consultation with the grantees, other community members, Oregon Housing and Community Services, and OHA’s advisory councils to develop a plan to invest available funds and increase culturally and linguistically appropriate residential treatment and housing capacity.

Provider reimbursements for delivering the Oregon Health Plan dental benefit were reduced by 11% for 2021. Dental Care Organizations (DCOs), CCOs, the Oregon Dental Association, and other stakeholders, including CCO Oregon, successfully worked with legislators on partially restoring this loss of funding for our provider community to mitigate the impact on OHP members and ensure a sustained patient-centered dental health system.

In June, the Oregon State Legislature passed House Bill 5006, the "budget reconciliation bill", and appropriated $19 million to restore 50% of the reimbursement lost due to the 11% rate cut. We are waiting on next steps to allocate the funds for disbursement from the Oregon Health Authority and legislative leaders. Meanwhile, the DCOs and CCOs continue to work with the OHA on dental rate setting for future years.

The Behavioral Health Incentive Program Manager will lead a transformative, community-led, and community-owned initiative to increase the recruitment and retention of providers in the behavioral health care workforce who are people of color, tribal members, or residents of rural areas in this state, in order to provide culturally responsive care for diverse communities. This position will oversee a professional team—the Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative team—and be led by external community stakeholders, such as communities of color, tribal communities, consumers and persons with lived experience, residents from rural areas and underserved areas of the state, and behavioral health providers.

This is a full-time, permanent position. Applications will be accepted until September 7th, 2021. See links to additional information and the application process below:

Link for External Applicants

Link for Current State of Oregon Employees

The Workforce Equity Coordinator will provide expertise to a transformative, community-led, and community-owned initiative to increase the recruitment and retention of providers in the behavioral health care workforce who are people of color, tribal members, or residents of rural areas in this state, in order to provide culturally responsive care for diverse communities. This position will work in partnership with Health Systems Division-Behavioral Health, an OHA cross-divisional workgroup, and other internal and stakeholders to advise on expanding the health care workforce and behavioral health workforce in an equitable manner and to identify evolving best practices and solutions to workforce issues.

This is a full-time, permanent position. Applications will be accepted until September 7th, 2021. See links to additional information and the application process below:

Link for External Applicants

Link for Current State of Oregon Employees

Oregon ran a lean healthcare system. The latest COVID surge is taking it to the brink, LA Times

Plagued by crises, Oregon looks to motels as creative solution to sheltering the unhoused, OPB News

Revenue Forecast: Oregon taxpayers to receive $1.9 billion in kicker credit, St. Helens Chronicle

Southern Oregon schools request ‘local control’ over state COVID mandates, what it means for districts, NBC News

Slow state system is delaying ability to track Covid cases in Marion, Polk counties, Salem Reporter

Oregon health advocates cheer NCAI for affirming equity and access for gender Diverse Natives, KLCC News

Oregon to require health workers, school staff be vaccinated, OPB News

Unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars, Kaiser Family Foundation

The Cost of COVID-19 in Oregon, NBC KOBI News

Oregon Health Authority Hires New Dental Director, The Lund Report (premium story)

How Fragmented Care Harms People with Both Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder, California Health Care Foundation

Sen. Ron Wyden pledges Medicaid funding for air conditioners, The Oregonian

14% of new COVID cases in August have been breakthroughs, KGW News

Examining The Affordable Care Act’s Effect On Coverage, Health Affairs

Improving the Oral Health of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, American Association of Pediatrics