Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Behavioral Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors push state action on behavioral health capacity; some urge an Oregon State Hospital North
Summary
Several council members urged a sweeping state response to behavioral health capacity, including proposals for an Oregon State Hospital North campus and increased institutional and community-based services; members said the issue transcends short-session constraints and requires regional coordination.
Several Portland councilors used the Sept. 17 work session on the legislative agenda to press for major increases in behavioral health capacity, including a proposal for an “Oregon State Hospital North” campus to serve the Portland metro area and increased community services and beds.
“There's an Oregon State Hospital North title,” Councilor Michael Zimmerman told colleagues, urging a regional campaign with Multnomah County to prioritize a north‑side hospital campus. Zimmerman argued the current system “is so broken” that incremental additions of beds would be insufficient and that a transformative, regional effort was needed to serve people with severe mental illness who are not in the criminal justice system.
Other councilors echoed the urgency. “Funding for behavioral health … has to be at the top of our list if we actually want to make a change here,” Councilor Carmen Smith said, adding that the city should advocate for state investment in the systems run by the state and county rather than asking the city to operate those services.
During the discussion, members emphasized multiple forms of response: short-term legislative fixes, longer-term capital projects and regional coalition-building. Councilors noted that some items may not be achievable in a short legislative session but said the city should “pound on it” across sessions while also pursuing achievable actions — for example, better billing and reimbursement for street-based service providers and state funding for crisis and inpatient capacity.
No formal motion was made at the work session. OGR staff said they would capture the feedback and work with Multnomah County and bureau subject-matter experts as they develop the draft agenda for December. Several councilors asked OGR to prioritize both non-monetary regulatory work and larger capital asks in coordination with county and regional partners.
