Announcements

May 2010

BCN Leaders Receive Oregon’s Mental Health Award for Excellence

Two BCN leaders, Chris Johnson and Ryan Melton, received Oregon’s Mental Health Awards for Excellence at a May 21, 2010 ceremony.

Chris Johnson, retiring in June as Director of Yamhill County Health and Human Services, is one of the founders of the BCN. At BCN's May Council meeting he was recognized for shaping the culture of mutual support within the BCN and for his welcoming of consumer involvement. The state award noted his fierce advocacy for services which support successful community living for people with mental illness and his leadership in developing a strong local health department. Chris has been an influential voice at the state level, participating in numerous committees where he helped shape policies that would really work for people in local communities.

Left to right: Gina Nikkel, Chris Johnson, Dawn Cottrell, Richard Harris

Ryan Melton, Clinical Supervisor for BCN’s Early Assessment and Support Team (EAST), was recognized for his role in promoting early intervention services across Oregon. He helped build and lead a dynamic and energized clinical team in our region. He now also provides training and consultation for teams in seven other Oregon counties which are replicating the EAST model. Ryan has a passion for workforce development, teaching at several local colleges, supervising interns, leading multi-family education training, and chairing Oregon’s Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.

Left to right: Richard Harris, Ryan Melton, Tamara Sale, Jim Russell

Feb 2010

Mid-Valley WRAP Selected as Demonstration Site

In February 2010, Mid-Valley WRAP was one of three projects selected as a demonstration site for the Statewide Children’s Wraparound Initiative. MV-WRAP is designed as a three-way partnership amongst MVBCN, Oregon Family Support Network and DHS Districts 1 (only Tillamook), 3 (Marion, Polk and Yamhill) and 4 (only Linn). With input from over 168 individuals and child serving agencies across five counties, the project’s vision is shared and clear: Children and youth will have connections to people who love them, skills to succeed with each life task, and hope for the future.

The Statewide Children’s Wraparound Initiative will have multiple phases to achieve the vision outlined by House Bill 2144 which was passed in the 2009 Legislative Session. The Bill requires by 2015 a 'system of care' (meaning):

“a coordinated network of services including education, child welfare, public health, primary care, pediatric care, juvenile justice, mental health treatment, substance use treatment, developmental disability services and any other services and supports to the identified population that integrates care planning and management across multiple levels, that is culturally and linguistically competent, that is designed to build meaningful partnerships with families and youth in the delivery and management of services and the development of policy and that has a supportive policy and management infrastructure”.

The funds awarded to MV-WRAP by the Statewide Wraparound Initiative begin the first phase. The demonstration project’s goal is to improve services and outcomes for children in DHS custody who have touched two or more child serving agencies, have experienced multiple placements and/or who need specialized treatment to address behavioral, emotional and/or mental health conditions.

The funding and performance requirements will be contracted through MVBCN. The infrastructure and outcome expectations overlap with what MVBCN is already doing for children with intensive mental health needs in our New Solutions programs. MV-WRAP will contract to serve 180 children and youth. The governance for MV-WRAP will come from the shared-decision making at all levels; the Child and Family Teams, local Community Care Coordination Committees, and MV-WRAP Advisory Council. A regional Review Committee comprised of 51% representation of parent and youth advocates, Child Welfare and Mental Health will review available referral information and approve all MV-WRAP entries to and transitions from the project.

The five MVBCN Community Mental Health Programs have already planned how to build on the existing strengths of the New Solutions program staff and expertise in implementing fidelity wraparound with children and youth involved in the project. MV-WRAP hopes to draw from Child Welfare system of care funds and from New Solutions funding to expand the availability of family and youth support partners, improve crisis services to prevent placement changes, strengthen support for foster parents and increase the availability of natural supports.

MV-WRAP is committed to a close collaboration with mental health and Behavioral Rehabilitation Service providers in the development of innovative services and training across agencies. With resource enhancement and support from Portland State University, the project will develop ongoing strategic communications to inform community stakeholders and potential service recipients about MV-WRAP services and the importance of a system of care approach. All communication and training will be designed to increase understanding of the importance of natural supports, service coordination, community-based services, and fidelity wraparound and their critical role in empowering children, youth and families to improve their lives.

Connections Skills Hope

Click here for the MV-WRAP webpage

14 May 2009

BCN has developed new Personal Action/Crisis Prevention Plan

This Plan is meant to help clients/consumers, their support persons and providers prepare for times when life seems too hard to manage. This Plan is designed to support conversations about what would help when additional support or action is needed. Click here for the Personal Action/Crisis Prevention Plan webpage

Apr 2009

International Researcher Returns for Visit

Dr. Patrick McGorry, the international researcher whose work helped form the basis for the EAST program, returned to Oregon the week of April 7. Dr. McGorry wears many hats: Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia, Executive Director of ORYGEN Research Centre (formerly the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Center), Director of Clinical Services ORYGEN Youth Health, and editor of Early Intervention in Psychiatry. Dr. McGorry is author of more than 300 books and articles, and former President and current board member of the International Early Psychosis Association.

Dr. McGorry was here for a two-day training sponsored by Portland State University as part of their continuing education series in evidence-based practices. While in town, Dr. McGorry visited with legislators, including the House Human Services Committee, met with leadership from the Department of Human Services Office of Addictions and Mental Health, and spent an afternoon with clinicians from the Early Assessment and Support Alliance teams. As part of the visit, Dr. McGorry also met with a reporter from the Salem Statesman Journal, resulting in a very nice article.

The visit by Dr. McGorry was particularly significant because it marks a new phase in the evolution of Oregon’s collaboration with the Australian program. The last time Dr. McGorry came to Oregon was in 2001 when the program had just started. Since that time EAST has evolved significantly and the model is now available to 60% of Oregonians.

Dr. McGorry emphasized several key points during his time in Oregon:
Oregon’s dissemination effort puts it in a unique position; the emphasis on changing culture and systems change is key.
Economic data is compelling about the effectiveness of early intervention: Dr. McGorry shared data showing that the annual cost over a five-to-seven year period is about a third for those who receive early intervention versus “treatment as usual”.
It is important to frame early psychosis intervention within a broader adolescent health framework. Adolescence and young adulthood is the time period when almost all major mental illness develops; these are the most important health issues for young people this age. Yet, resources tend to be focused on younger and older individuals and tend to overlook this critical period of onset.

We look forward to many future exchanges (staff, research, knowledge, etc.) with our Australian friends!

Dr. McGorry gives testimony to the Oregon House Human Services Commission on April 8, 2009.

11 Feb 2008

MVBCN Welcomes Helen Lara as Consumer Affairs Specialist

Helen joins us from California, bringing 11 years of experience with self-help programs. She managed the Interlink Self-Help Center and created the new Wellness and Advocacy Center, both in Santa Rosa. As a result of her own life experience, Helen became a passionate advocate for the role of peer support as an essential component of recovery.

You can read Helen's essay on recovery: RECOVERY: What Is It? (PDF)

27 Nov 2007

MVBCN Releases Criminal Justice/Substance Abuse Collaboration Document

MVBCN releases Improving Results, a document describing how criminal justice and substance abuse treatment systems can collaborate to maximize the benefit for people served by both systems. Over a period of a year and a half a group of criminal justice and substance abuse treatment professionals from the BCN region worked on key issues: information sharing, continuum of care and evidence-based practices. For each topic the document draws from stakeholder interviews and literature review to provide an overview; challenges and barriers; recommendations; and, funding challenges.

Download "Improving Results" (PDF)

22 Oct 2007

Silver Achievement Award Goes to EAST!

On October 11, 2007, EAST received the Silver Award from the American Psychiatric Association in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Sally Godard accepted the award on behalf of the team. The national award recognizes the innovative work done by EAST staff.

Download Psychiatric Services Reprint (PDF)