Empower Oregon

The 2011 Oregon Legislature passed a new statute that aims to transform our current system of health care. Wisely, the Legislature didn’t try to mandate changes without input from those doing the work, and established four working groups.

Representatives of SEIU are among the 133 people appointed by Governor Kitzhaber to the Oregon Health Policy Board's health transformation work groups. The groups will map out plans to submit to the legislature in February detailing the work of local Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) that will ultimately be responsible for the delivery of physical, mental, addictions, oral, and other health care.

The four work groups are responsible for: crafting the new CCO criteria; reviewing and suggesting guidelines for global budgeting; creating the rules for measuring outcomes, quality and efficiency; and integrating Medicare and Medicaid funds into Oregon’s new system.

This is a great opportunity for a fresh start in the way addictions, mental health, medical and dental services are provided. We can look forward to keeping those practices that work and jettisoning those systems that stand in the way of good services.

There will be a great deal of work to be done in the next few months as these work groups have to complete their proposals for the February 2012 Legislative session. We anticipate that the voices of front line workers will need to be heard in these venues. Empower Oregon will keep you updated.

If you want to be a part of our effort to transform the health system, click here.

We are proud to announce that Empower Oregon is a Bronze Sponsor of this year’s NAMI Northwest Walk. The NAMI Northwest Walk is the largest fundraiser of the year for NAMI affiliates across the northwest. In addition to our sponsorship contribution we will be organizing a walk team and want you to join us!

This year’s walk is on Sunday, May 22nd at 12pm and will start at the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade (SE Main at SE Water). There is of course no cost to sign-up for our team, but please consider talking with your friends and family about donating to NAMI and helping them fulfill their mission of improving the lives of individuals living with mental illness, and the lives of their loved ones. There is a sample fundraising letter on our walk team’s website. Please take time to sign up today!

On March 24th Empower Oregon held its first Lobby Day. For the first time union and non-union front line workers came together to speak out to lawmakers on the importance of the services they provide. Because there were workers from Community Mental Health Providers, Developmental Disabilities Services, and the Oregon State Hospital we were able to show legislators, in very real terms, the continuum of care needed to treat people with mental illness. We hope this is only the first of many Empower Oregon lobby days.

One of the issues front line workers discussed with legislators is the enormous amount of paperwork in the mental health system. Front line workers often have to take time away from seeing their clients in order to complete tedious and often duplicative paperwork. HB 2856 passed the House on March 24th while we were in Salem for Lobby Day. HB 2856 requires the Department of Human Services to work with providers and look for ways to reduce the amount of paper work, allowing front line workers to spend more time with the clients they serve. The bill is now on its way to the Senate and we will keep you posted on its progress.

Write your state senator now in support of SB 524 allowing people in recovery with criminal histories to continue to work in the mental health and addictions field.

In 2009 a law was passed that created a list of permanently disqualifying crimes that would bar any worker with one of these crimes in their past from ever working in many fields including addictions and mental health.

(link to the law http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/chc/docs/hb2442.pdf?ga=t)

This law impacts hundreds of excellent addictions councilors and mental health workers who themselves are in recovery. There is substantial research indicating that services provided by individuals who are in recovery themselves results in better outcomes for clients. A counselor who has personal experience with addiction or mental illness is better able to relate to their clients and their clients can receive the treatment they need in an environment where they do not feel judged. However, these same effective workers are also more likely to have committed a crime, meaning this bill would result in a substantial loss of qualified and effective mental health and addictions professionals.

Last summer, with your help, we were able to delay implementation of the bill until July 2011 for addictions workers, but we need a permanent fix that includes mental health and addiction workers. There is currently a bill in the Oregon Senate (SB524) which would exempt Mental Health and Addictions workers from the list of permanently disqualifying crimes. Workers with a criminal record would be given a fitness assessment and they would be able to take this assessment with them if they change jobs and are again subject to a background check.

In order for us to permanently fix the legislation passed in 2009 we need your support. Senators are deciding right now if they will support SB 524 and they need to hear from you. Please take some time today to write your Senator telling them why you support frontline Addictions and Mental Health workers and the passage of SB 524.