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County school‑based mental health staff urge keeping general‑fund support, say program “steps into the gap”
Summary
Three Multnomah County school‑based mental health staff, speaking during public comment, described the program’s role serving students with barriers to care, the program’s culturally responsive staffing, and reliance on county general funds rather than fee‑for‑service billing.
Multnomah County school‑based mental health clinicians and a union steward told the Board of Commissioners during public comment that the county’s school‑based mental health program provides services that other local providers cannot, and that losing the program would remove a critical lifeline for many students.
Jordan Pesach, a school‑based mental health clinician who identified herself as serving two East County schools, described a program that serves a high share of Spanish‑speaking students and prioritizes hiring clinicians who reflect students’ identities. Pesach said the county clinicians “fill these gaps” in local services and that interns have expanded capacity in the schools.
Licensed psychologist Dr. Austin Burris gave examples of how the county program differs from community agencies: it accepts all insurance types (including no insurance), is not constrained by insurance billing rules, and focuses on “is this an essential service?” rather than whether a session is billable. Burris said the program generates roughly $500,000 per year from billable services but relies on Multnomah County general fund to provide care that would otherwise be unavailable.
Nathaniel Lopez, a school‑based mental health consultant and union steward, described the program’s “say yes to all” approach, noting it serves newly arrived immigrants, families with limited trust of formal systems, and others who cannot access care elsewhere. He said community agencies often operate under pressure to produce billable hours, which can increase turnover and reduce service predictability. Lopez said clients told him that without the county program “I probably wouldn't have gotten therapy at all.”
Speakers stressed the program’s role in suicide prevention, culturally specific groups (for example, Latinx parent groups in Spanish), and care for LGBTQ+ youth who may find school clinicians to be safe supports. The public testimony framed the county program as a flexible, equity‑oriented safety net that links families to housing and other resources in addition to therapy.
There was no board vote on these comments; commissioners listened and acknowledged the testimony. The remarks were delivered during the public comment period and not part of a formal agenda item.
