Clatsop commissioners press CCO and state partners to address licensure, pay and rural workforce barriers

County commissioners used the CCO presentation as a forum to press for broader workforce and licensure fixes they say are needed to sustain local behavioral‑health access.

"The process in Oregon to be licensed as a clinician was so difficult and expensive and time consuming that I did other things," Commissioner Thompson said, describing barriers that can deter qualified clinicians from practicing in Oregon.

Commissioners described multiple interrelated problems: long, costly licensing processes, noncompetitive pay compared with other states, and the practical difficulty of recruiting clinicians to serve sparsely populated rural counties. Commissioner Wakulla warned that when a county’s population is under about 20,000, provider interest in working there drops substantially.

Local providers and commissioners also raised administrative burden concerns tied to obtaining a Certificate of Approval (COA) and asked for direct communication and support so small local practices can come into compliance. The county referenced Shoreline Counseling as an example of a private counseling practice worried about the timeline and effort required to obtain COA and meet contracting requirements.

Shaira, who said she participates on the governor’s talent council, described ongoing statewide efforts to reduce licensure burdens and improve workforce pipelines: "I was asked to participate in the governor's talent council committee, which focuses on, workforce retention, recruitment, pipeline development." She and CCO staff said they are engaged with the governor’s office, OHA and licensing boards to advocate for reduced administrative burden and workforce solutions.

Shaira also clarified that the community mental health program (CBH) is paid by capitation from the CCO and does not receive fee‑for‑service payments, a funding structure commissioners said is important context when discussing local provider finances.

Commissioners asked for concrete next steps the county could take to help: suggestions included elevating workforce and licensure issues in county communications and coordinating with state delegations to press licensing boards and the governor’s office. No formal county policy was adopted; commissioners asked the CCO and Shaira to continue coordinating with statewide workforce initiatives and to return with additional data or proposals for local support.

The discussion closed with a scheduling note that a pending Fort Point agenda item would be postponed to a later meeting.