[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6582627,"mediaKeyId","3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58","parentId",3071620,"title","Behavioral health crisis center opening delayed; county outlines staffing and operational plan","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5280000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58&start=5280&end=5280","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58/thumbnail_5280000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6582627/Benton-County/Oregon/Behavioral-health-crisis-center-opening-delayed-county-outlines-staffing-and-operational-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582627-499ebe0e709d08949203fe7f4dbeceb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132191&Signature=YvwEuRJDMrWsML2zjhIg3Qa9rVSab3t73me9Fx7KhBwWVen64pJbVP1OJg0PfNlyL84m-VfClquezAFw8v4-0IFLIfwGpYNYpKabC4nRb4Js4VUSJXMA8tER-vTA8oi1WqPV0h7C~VXXW7ZK9ca1cCzTgK6yQpN27rYvdcldrmupJhqOgSZorgLdgTna2rYW4KbmhbkFJjXGG1s6tlzEiiwiaivrZMPCsQW8zHPtj2FQFMIBEYARKslq4YBc5XYT9OhAgfuhS4Dd6cQMEvHhhn-LH6HDkp1Ilyn8rRlA7zKVEi5FnoTpitw5TUs0LccX8Api-HFzWj1qmutfV8Kzzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Benton County, OR","date","2025-04-21T20:55:53.17Z","article","Damien (behavioral health lead) and project managers updated commissioners on the county’s behavioral health crisis center, describing construction progress, procurement delays for specialty safety hardware, staffing plans and financial arrangements with the local CCO.

Construction and timeline: staff said the building’s specialized safety features — including anti-ligature doors and other nonstandard hardware — required a small number of specialty components that were returned by a vendor and must be reordered. That procurement issue, staff said, pushed the center’s timeline beyond earlier target dates. The project manager Stacy and others said the move-in will happen once the specialty components are delivered and final inspections are complete; staff cautioned that an open-house date that had been discussed would likely be pushed back.

Operations and staffing: county officials described an initial stabilization model (a short-term, 23-hour stabilization service) that will expand into a 24/7 operation in stages. Staffing plans call for a 4/10 schedule with overlapping days for administrative work, then a swing shift and a later night/graveyard shift as operations scale. County staff said hiring had accelerated and that bargaining with staff had been completed.

Budget and finance: behavioral-health leaders said they are pursuing an offset model with IHN (the county’s coordinated care organization) to make the facility cost-neutral to county general fund dollars. Staff reported ongoing work with finance and IHN to develop a revenue-offset justification based on estimated diversion from emergency departments; staff cited a regional diversion rate example around 30% and asked the CCO to consider potential savings from avoided emergency-department use when evaluating ongoing operating support.

Operational logistics: staff noted practical constraints for an urban site, including limited parking and the need for creative, possibly shared parking solutions; they also described significant work by county IT and communications staff to prepare for an eventual public open house.

Ending: Commissioners were asked to expect a revised schedule for move-in and open-house events, and staff said they will continue hiring and finalize contracts and parking arrangements prior to an operational launch.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Commissioners Department Head Meeting with Health Services and Community Health Centers","oneSentenceSummary","County behavioral-health staff reported construction and procurement delays for the new crisis center, outlined a phased staffing and scheduling plan, and said they are pursuing a financial model intended to be cost-neutral to the county with CCO support.","taxTitle","Benton County, Oregon","taxId",8787,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6582632,"Benton County says flexible housing subsidy pool has leased 40 units, rehoused dozens of residents",2467,2293000,4760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58&start=2293&end=4760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58/thumbnail_2293000.jpg","/articles/6582632/Benton-County/Oregon/Benton-County-says-flexible-housing-subsidy-pool-has-leased-40-units-rehoused-dozens-of-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582632-8e2053d3adc2acd13e215fc3f5353a19/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132191&Signature=JjwH8BqUeU8LMLT4LiOZxs75~egQXKYoLeH1VmTPd6XdymFgtMVEbYZuIgaxgU3Mm08GL7GiK7-qGvPCvpVkrP4o-M4dm0FW-KXLOBmMzBq2yYVgf47LUOpHjgtEBAr0-baR5cKhzGUJcfdy~r3SUABSa0R92Vn8cfL~kSEmgu8fAgwJVO5TIhMx5~q8BL6UKWiI8DiVKgB~j8JoYEIuDeyUMZAguhpQ9enRasI4IxfzG0AcV334ybhDm41s6vFZzKA4g5DKYeOMbiuEU8dOYZ3vUmZ7QqaL4-VJEgpAtdG1KGQQrUaKSKg-HVcj0BthnYj3c4Oc~Dn8T8VHLwJkXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julie Arena and Rebecca Taylor of the coordinated homeless response office updated the commissioners on the county’s flexible housing subsidy pool (FHSP), a state- and locally-supported program that the office says is focused on rapidly rehousing unsheltered households and providing wraparound supports.

Arena told the board the FHSP is built to be flexible and to avoid duplicating existing programs; she said the county has contracted outreach and case-management partners, hired a program coordinator and a housing navigator, and is coordinating with multiple community partners including the city of Corvallis and the local CCO.

Rebecca Taylor described the program’s recent results and partnerships. She said the FHSP has leased up 40 units and that the program’s count had recently shown 43 households housed (52 adults and 44 children), a total of 96 individuals as of an April data pull. Taylor and Arena said they are working with more than 10 private-market property managers and with three recent affordable-housing developments that agreed to set-aside units for program participants.

Why it matters: county staff said the FHSP provides direct rental assistance and short-term case management with the stated goal of helping participants reach long-term stability — for some participants by helping them access longer-term rental assistance programs such as Section 8 preference processes.

Key program details reported
- Funding and policy origins: staff said the program built on state House Bill 4123 and the local planning work for House Bill 5019; the county acted as the local planning group for the latter and used those funding streams to launch the FHSP.
- Partnerships and staffing: the county contracted case management and added a program coordinator and housing navigator (named staff include Penny Baloo and Mia Murphy) to lead private-market outreach and landlord engagement.
- Private-market outreach: the county reported it has engaged more than 10 private-market property managers, has brokered relationships with three recent affordable developments (Third Flats, Union Pacific and River Green) and has hosted landlord engagement efforts including a property-manager thank-you luncheon.
- Placements and counts: the team reported more than 40 leased-up units; a flyer and spreadsheet cited 49 adults and 44 children (93 people) in an earlier tally and an updated April 8 pull of 43 households for a total of 96 individuals.
- New grant award: county staff said they applied for $1,000,000 through a Behavioral Health Housing 360 competitive grant and were awarded $900,000. The award will be managed as part of a multi-recipient cohort with other Oregon grantees.

County and city coordination
County staff described a close working relationship with the city of Corvallis. Staff said the city had purchased or was pursuing acquisition of sites (Van Buren property, and a pending Harrison property) and that the county will work under intergovernmental agreements to provide supportive services at those sites. One purchase (Van Buren) already had HUD approval; the Harrison acquisition required further federal review, county staff said.

Ending: Commissioners were asked to note progress, continued outreach work with private landlords, and upcoming contract and IGA items tied to the county’s housing-acquisition efforts.","County coordinated homeless response staff briefed commissioners on the flexible housing subsidy pool (FHSP), reporting more than 40 lease-ups, partnerships with Corvallis and an award of $900,000 for a behavioral-health housing pilot.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6582635,"HHS reorganization, budget cuts prompt concern for Benton County health services",1583,92000,1675000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58&start=92&end=1675","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071620-1b99c89941e58ba5c3834cf51277bb58/thumbnail_92000.jpg","/articles/6582635/Benton-County/Oregon/HHS-reorganization-budget-cuts-prompt-concern-for-Benton-County-health-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582635-a69764ccb2db73257535ef24017a680c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132191&Signature=XOy6QA3G4RhOvEMsp6M6kchEcND-YRtuVN5mbws3Y1kiLnR3polYassimYdcsYvHsiGw5pizJof-TA-zXEWXQqCGjeEoisctcTRsuT33O4rSk0tRX12omiW0Sl0I8zlfae1IJR7Q-YTz9Usx-W2Q43XtK4pr2Qe7xtuBtUc0eLW-fP3Y0-xI9KbdLji7dZfMfqHeJKGt-jDY5yA5nhbRgdUhrx9HCz2vHbimSP9bS0kvnM-M~FPZMZ2kdDiR8j8kY0Padaayq-CpEf3pWeBm6RmsqHeEiaFoGN86z2hmVnfwhD6RDW3FOsteTJwMz2LuIEpbRLshBZ1bwcYlw-cxjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lacey Molow, CHC executive director, told the Benton County Board of Commissioners on the morning of the meeting that changes in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) organization and proposed budget cuts are already affecting local health center operations and grant administration.

Molow said the proposed HHS draft budget and related reorganizations were “changing in real time” but that the department’s Community Health Center (CHC) funding stream — administered through HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care — is being folded into a newly described “Administration for a Healthy America” and that multiple agencies and offices are being consolidated under that umbrella.

County leaders said those federal shifts are translating to immediate operational impacts locally. Molow described HRSA reductions in force affecting program offices that provide technical support and supplemental grants, and she said agencies including SAMHSA and parts of CDC were being moved or reduced. “We have definitely been experiencing a delay in customer service and responsiveness,” she said, describing eliminated HRSA divisions that handled everything from phone support to supplemental grant oversight.

Why it matters: county health programs and community health centers rely on technical assistance, timely grant payments and supplemental awards to operate clinics, behavioral-health programs and emerging initiatives. County staff warned that delays and new federal documentation requirements for drawdowns — including detailed, staff-level time and activity justifications — will shrink accessible cash flow and increase reporting burdens.

Details reported to the board
- HRSA-related changes: Molow said HRSA has eliminated some offices that supported CHCs, and that SAMHSA and other units have faced major reductions in staff.
- Layoffs and regional consolidations: she said HRSA issued reductions in force and that five HHS regional offices (Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle) received reduction notices, leaving Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City and Denver to remain. Benton County staff noted uncertainty about future geographic support arrangements for Region 10.
- Title X and programmatic shifts: Molow said HHS issued only partial Title X disbursements to many grantees and that Planned Parenthood was zeroed out from Title X funding in the draft budget. She said recent disbursements described to the county were roughly 40% of expected Title X funding.
- Drawdown and payment changes: county staff described new documentation requirements for federal drawdowns, requiring written justifications and more detailed staff-hour accounting before payments are released, which has increased payment delays and pressure on local cash-on-hand.
- COVID-era funds and litigation: Molow said the federal pause on use of about $11 billion in COVID-era funds remains in litigation; the county has been advised by state partners to pause spending pending court outcomes.
- Ryan White guidance and gender-affirming care: county staff described federal guidance clarifying Ryan White grant funds must be used for HIV/AIDS-specific services; the county characterized that guidance as narrowing allowable uses of some HIV program funds.

County reaction and near-term steps
County health leaders said they are coordinating with state partners, other Oregon CHCs and legal advisors to assess litigation risks and to determine how long clinics could operate if federal funds were withheld. Molow and Sarah Hartstein, public health division director, said staff are prioritizing local planning that relies on more stable state funding where possible and are preparing to document staffing and program costs to meet new federal drawdown rules.

Molow advised caution about planning around carryover funds; she said HRSA language added to new awards signals continuation of support may be contingent on administration priorities and court orders.

Ending: Commissioners heard that while the federal picture remains fluid, local public-health leaders are consolidating contingency plans, tracking grant and program changes closely and seeking state coordination to protect ongoing services.","County health leaders told the Benton County Board of Commissioners that a proposed HHS reorganization, recent HRSA reductions in force and tighter federal drawdown rules are already slowing customer service, reducing grant support and increasing financial uncertainty for local community health programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Behavioral health crisis center opening delayed; county outlines staffing and operational plan

Benton County says flexible housing subsidy pool has leased 40 units, rehoused dozens of residents

HHS reorganization, budget cuts prompt concern for Benton County health services