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Benton County health leadership: crisis center open but behavioral health funding remains uncertain
Summary
County health officials reported the new crisis center is open and staffed, flexible housing and shelter coordination exceeded goals, and the state'wide rework of behavioral health funding is paused under a six-month extension while county staff prepare a plan tied to new OHA domains.
At a Benton County health services briefing on Aug. 1, Health Department Director April Holland said the county'operated crisis center is open and staffed and the department is preparing for changes to statewide behavioral health funding rules while awaiting further guidance from the Oregon Health Authority.
Holland said the Barbara Ross Building (40185 Southwest Research Way) and the new crisis center both held grand-opening events this summer, and that the county'led crisis operations are now "business as usual." She introduced the crisis program manager, Haley Clark, and said Clark "is doing a great job" while the county provides additional operational support through experienced staff including Ricky Garcia and Ashley Talamantes.
The update noted the county has an initial application with IHN and expects an initial award, but that the Office of Oregon Health Authority (OHA) rate-setting process and other new requirements mean the county will revisit that award in January. Holland said OHA provided a six-month extension of current financial terms while counties and providers draft plans to fit the new behavioral-health program domains; those plans and budgets are due even though some policy points remain unresolved.
"It's an extension of the previous contract," Holland said, referring to the six-month continuation of existing service-element language while the state and local partners work through new domains and prioritization.
Holland described how rate modernization is intended to improve reimbursement for crisis services once new rates are set, but cautioned the county expects to use contingency funds to cover initial ramp-up and reimbursement lags as the crisis center increases capacity and onboards staff. She said the county is approaching that spending conservatively to avoid expanding services faster than revenue will sustain.
On homelessness coordination, Holland reported the county's flexible housing subsidy pool exceeded its goal of 51 households and has housed 53 households — described as "well over a 100 individuals" receiving ongoing support — and that county staff are negotiating contract language and creative grant use with Unity Shelter and state partners to close sheltering gaps.
Holland also said the health department's public health reaccreditation review is underway as a virtual site visit; a small number of county commissioners will be invited to brief exit reviewers.
The commissioners asked for clarification on which state offices are involved in the behavioral health contract changes; Holland said the OHA behavioral health division is the lead and that the governor's office has also been involved. She said the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has been coordinating county-level responses and that most affected counties have so far refused to sign the new language.
The presentation closed with Holland saying behavioral health staff will assemble a plan and budget based on OHA's new domains and will return to the county with that draft. She emphasized the county will continue conservative implementation while monitoring OHA and CCO negotiations.
Votes at a glance
The meeting began with a short procedural vote to approve minutes for Oct. 3, Jan. 22 and April 21. A motion to approve was seconded and "the motion passes unanimously," according to the public transcript; the transcript does not record individual named votes.
