The Oregon Health Authority plans to devote $517 million in investments to improve state mental health services, local news source The Chronicle reported May 26.
The Health Authority's objectives are to strengthen the mental health workforce, expand treatment services, and provide housing and other support services to people with mental health and substance use disorders.
A breakdown of the funding:
- Approximately $132 million in one-time grants for treatment providers to counter the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health workforce.
- Approximately $155 million to bolster mental health provider reimbursement increases, set to begin July 1 pending legislative and federal approval.
- Approximately $230 million for supportive housing and residential treatment programs, to be disbursed this summer.
"These resources are intended to provide immediate support to behavioral health workers and give programs a sustainable base of funding they can count on to make behavioral health treatment more accessible and equitable in Oregon," Oregon Health Authority Behavioral Health Director Steve Allen told The Chronicle.
The first $132 million of funding will be distributed starting this week.