[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6217148,"mediaKeyId","3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271","parentId",3648981,"title","OHA outlines $2.2 million veterans behavioral‑health program, cites 2019 study and peer‑support focus","audioSeconds",609,"startMs",1647000,"endMs",2256000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271&start=1647&end=2256","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271/thumbnail_1647000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6217148/Oregon/OHA-outlines-22-million-veterans-behavioralhealth-program-cites-2019-study-and-peersupport-focus","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217148-f8405b1aa9161b96edae98df211a555d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002343&Signature=GsaVRENOIxHZlgCjLE4-zIdEgrax6ojuHxEnDxv1LjRC6F0~i3BDM~LN4wr0iFN8yt5JdZ-QR9njI7gCKJHlVVk5u41iAVP8QYKMGVI~GEEQc0SJ38bTtgT8mPomLh0Zl73UWfnJIy2dHTZsI4TtljW5tVKhI7QdNljGh8eOsqeij069ryn-HK81pTX6ZTIu7kof6ujoaBrmj8mFT70qKPHgMG7h8t2UgsQkqM-fpVaIIhsGxHgVsHfRG1GAb7cVXzBXgFmzNx~k7oKMEzcsxT9nXPLZbqxI2UpHxSqfWgt0DIJTdSZ2GX-rk5vuc8pHiSydz5-779Vtw4Q5j-Zc7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","Krista Jones, behavioral health deputy director at the Oregon Health Authority, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on June 3 that OHA’s veteran and military behavioral health program grew from a 2019 improvement study and is funded through the state’s veteran services fund.

Jones said the 2019 Oregon Veterans Behavioral Health Service Improvement Study produced recommendations that have driven programming across three biennia. “The recommendations drive the programming funded by the veteran and military behavioral health program,” Jones said. Examples she described include provider competency trainings, tribal behavioral health grants, peer support specialist grants, firearms safety and suicide‑prevention outreach, and pilots such as a Brain Injury Care Navigator and parenting supports for service members and veterans who are caregivers.

Why it matters: OHA reported that the veteran and military behavioral health program was allocated $2,200,000 for the current biennium and that the agency expects to expend that full amount on direct behavioral‑health services for service members, veterans and their families.

Susan Davis, OHA’s veteran and military behavioral health liaison, summarized program areas that align with the 2019 recommendations: cross‑sector community projects, outreach to destigmatize behavioral health treatment, development of peer‑support models, increasing non‑VHA providers’ competency in military cultural awareness, and routine collection of veteran status and social determinants of health data in funded programs.

Jones and Davis said some program elements are intentionally nonclinical—such as peer support—but are considered part of behavioral‑health service delivery and are used alongside clinical care. “Peer support can be a part of a treatment plan for an individual,” Jones said, adding that peer services often operate as part of a multidisciplinary team.

OHA reported a range of funded services and pilot projects and said several service areas have already exceeded projected numbers served; full reporting on numbers served will continue through mid‑August 2025. Jones said outreach activities such as the Veterans Village at Pride events—scheduled in multiple Oregon cities—are expected to more than double the number of service members, veterans and families reached by that outreach component.

Committee members pressed OHA for additional data. Jones said she did not have on‑hand the percentage that OHA’s allocation represents of the Measure 96 1.5% total and agreed to provide that figure in writing. Several lawmakers asked for more detailed breakdowns, including the number of combat veterans in the state, the percentage of service providers who are veterans, and program‑level counts for peer and clinical services. OHA agreed to provide follow‑up information in writing.

A legislator raised concerns about the scope and cost of a multi‑year study OHA conducted on ibogaine; Jones said OHA would provide documentation and analysis in writing to address the questions. The committee recessed without making policy changes; members asked OHA to return written materials for review.

OHA closed by sharing participant comments from funded programs, including statements that participants felt supported and that combined modalities (for example, mindfulness, equine exposure, yoga and acupuncture) were helpful to attendees. Jones and Davis said programming includes targeted efforts for rural veterans, tribal populations, LGBTQ+ veterans and justice‑involved veterans.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans 06/03/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Krista Jones, behavioral health deputy director at the Oregon Health Authority, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on June 3 that OHA’s veteran and military behavioral health program was allocated $2,200,000 for this biennium and funds peer support, tribal grants, training and suicide‑prevention work informed by a 2019 improvement study.","taxTitle","Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17514,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6217157,"ODVA director details Measure 96 spending on veteran programs; committee requests accounting",1128,54000,1182000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271&start=54&end=1182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271/thumbnail_54000.jpg","/articles/6217157/Oregon/ODVA-director-details-Measure-96-spending-on-veteran-programs-committee-requests-accounting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217157-bdd7f8b0c577e7dff8fc56277ba6c678/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002343&Signature=FbgwQGjBwQkC62B91TP96VUeFIjiqtYVxEU34SYIAUk~MFUa8MBbq6p2B~JwRxZcVN57fO6JMbphKRLQvnfTdVYmpbOr2OyO8lAIprTqgPn7XWrRDkVwpNNHRM57hmww-FHMyd9HyqKPgVuEFjlW5N1pHdw1tntP4x-cC9tNCLkjaKUnWIdKNVkR0ph2bM02kiQVh025JantsA~pC69UbWrmYAKij7aKWa2gy475rOyzaqC8CFeIanygXkMVPd7ZUXO8GGJSFjvAxms-wNufnDhBwswYXUI174BXvot3Fpvqk8Vup4QQOYrwgtARElbvOfFm1AOGR9MUvPgkLSuT~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Nikkia Council Daniels, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on June 3, 2025, that Measure 96 lottery funding has been the largest investment in veteran services since ODVA’s founding and has supported a wide range of programs across the state.

The funding stream comes from Measure 96, passed by Oregon voters in 2016, which dedicates 1.5% of net lottery proceeds to veteran services. “Measure 96 represents the largest investment in veteran services since ODVA was founded in 1945,” Daniels told the committee. She said the department serves more than 260,000 veterans in Oregon and that lottery dollars have doubled funding for county veteran service offices and supported veteran transitional housing, campus veteran supports and outreach to underserved populations.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed ODVA for clearer accounting of the Measure 96 allocations so lawmakers can confirm the money is being used to expand services rather than supplant other agency funding. Representative Lewis asked the department to provide a biennial breakdown of receipts and where the 1.5% has gone since the measure’s passage.

Daniels described several specific programs funded or supported with lottery dollars: county and tribal veteran service officers who assist with VA claims; veteran services grants totaling more than $3,000,000 since inception for transportation, legal services, education, housing security and mental‑health supports; and a large investment in an affordable housing project in Salem. “There was $7,000,000 invested in that building to provide affordable housing for veterans in Salem with 34 units with wraparound services,” Daniels said of Courtney Place. She added that $500,000 this biennium supports wraparound services statewide.

Daniels also described the department’s aging‑veterans outreach and representative payee services, a volunteer program that provides local outreach, an incarcerated‑veterans reentry grant, and tribal memoranda of understanding. ODVA has signed MOUs with five tribes—the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; and the Coquille Tribe—and Daniels said the agency is planning an additional MOU that will bring TVSO coverage to six tribal offices.

Committee members asked several follow‑up questions that Daniels said she would provide in writing. Lawmakers asked ODVA to: confirm which agencies receive Measure 96 dollars and whether the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) receives any Measure 96 funding; provide usage and cost data for the Lifeline/988 veteran routing and the vendor that handles those calls; and provide documentation about the Courtney Place funding and related wraparound dollars. Chair Tran explicitly asked ODVA to ‘‘get us the number’’ and to send the requested documentation to committee members.

Questions from members also raised program‑level issues that Daniels either answered or said she would follow up on in writing, including the flow of specific 2023 appropriations (mentioned by members in relation to behavioral health and dental programs) and confirmation of the number of agencies that receive Measure 96 allocations. Daniels said ODVA receives its portion through the legislative budget process and does not act as the sole passthrough for all Measure 96 dollars.

The committee did not take any formal vote on legislation; members directed staff and ODVA to provide the requested accounting and program data.

Looking ahead: Committee members asked staff to include the requested data in meeting materials and follow up at upcoming legislative meetings so they can track how the 1.5% measure has been allocated and whether those funds are being used to expand and not supplant veteran services.","Dr. Nikkia Council Daniels, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on June 3, 2025, that Measure 96 lottery funding has been the largest investment in veteran services since ODVA’s founding and has supported a wide range of programs across the state.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6217152,"ODOT describes Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation grant; agency to confirm Measure 96 link",161,1402000,1563000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271&start=1402&end=1563","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3648981-56d478fd78878281697dbe85c620d271/thumbnail_1402000.jpg","/articles/6217152/Oregon/ODOT-describes-Rural-Veterans-Health-Care-Transportation-grant-agency-to-confirm-Measure-96-link","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217152-12e581427e3cf50261f936f8d2747a8c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002343&Signature=coCr7~GnGUBWaaLcYiqnK7GlD9iAwASYetkEQ65QbJed0KxVwSPLmWa24BKVlL7x9LtXgChSG3OWk70yHEv1OVALs~FoMWMtTlJ3Axpu~1m7p5DVn2cFLZ21cxJ-Y8bxA048VuEDvMP-6XjPY24Ji~XdWLhJo4EpLic1vityeR48yCPbtDWP7B~vFTPnryofN72w804CrMV7mD6aclcYTfZSZvVJhHsMAhArShvvtvEj19Ax1wounv9Rew6UV4~cktJDIiHdCNJ~Bs6pMkhnpbwuPOpeSNNnRPYYQa2QD9blmHv2gsAv2fAaFmRdcVIrEd8YiG~heDNkrPlSZg4BvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hope Estes, public transportation division at the Oregon Department of Transportation, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on June 3 that the Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation grant program provides dedicated lottery funds to help rural veterans travel to VA and non‑VA health appointments.

The program began as a 2019 pilot and was formalized in statute via House Bill 2039 in 2021, Estes said. ODOT administers the grants via an interagency agreement with ODVA. For the last two grant cycles, Estes said the program used $650,000 in lottery funds; the program has awarded 26 grants since 2019 and many recipients have returned for additional funding.

Why it matters: Rural veterans face longer travel distances to access care, and local transit agencies often cannot cover those trips. Estes told lawmakers the RVHT grants fund on‑demand dial‑a‑ride services and other options to connect veterans to a broad range of health‑related destinations.

Estes said the grants are available to transit districts, counties in rural areas and federally recognized tribes in Oregon. Because the funds are state dollars, rides can be provided to both VA and non‑VA facilities. ODOT is planning a fourth grant cycle and hopes to open an application in August, but Estes said the amount available for the next cycle remains uncertain pending legislative decisions this session.

Committee members asked whether the RVHT funds are part of Measure 96’s 1.5% allocation. Estes said she believed they were but agreed to verify and to report back to the committee. Representative Graber asked whether federally funded highly rural grant dollars—used by some eastern counties—are in jeopardy; Estes said ODOT would look into that and provide an update.

No formal action or vote occurred; ODOT agreed to provide written confirmation on the funding source and to share data about past recipients and reported veteran rides and miles.

Estes closed by offering to provide further details and applicant materials when the agency opens the next cycle of grants.","Hope Estes of ODOT presented the Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation (RVHT) grant program, created as a pilot in 2019 and formalized by a 2021 bill; the program has awarded 26 grants and ODOT will confirm whether funding counts toward the 1.5% Measure 96 allocation","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

OHA outlines $2.2 million veterans behavioral‑health program, cites 2019 study and peer‑support focus

ODVA director details Measure 96 spending on veteran programs; committee requests accounting

ODOT describes Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation grant; agency to confirm Measure 96 link