At the meeting the council reviewed a draft county financial agreement and local plan that Shaira (representing the community mental health program, CBH) said will be submitted to the Oregon Health Authority as part of contract negotiations.

Shaira described the county financial agreement (CFAA) as the contract that makes the CMHP the local safety-net provider, obligating it to deliver required services for uninsured and underinsured residents. She said counties were asked to prepare local plans that explain how they will meet contract expectations and to identify unmet service needs in priority order. Shaira said the next version of the local plan was due to the state the following day and that she would circulate excerpts to HSAC after submission.

Shaira highlighted several top priority gaps. She cited a 4092 cost study showing a multimillion-dollar shortfall between required services and available funding and said the CMHPs face substantial fiscal pressure, especially with possible Medicaid enrollment reductions. To help buffer cuts she recommended that the Oregon Health Authority prioritize community mental health programs when awarding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) funding opportunities.

On housing and crisis services, Shaira said the county has one of the highest per-capita homelessness rates in Oregon and warned that the county lacks sufficient shelter beds. She said crisis stabilization centers — 24/7 facilities that provide short-term support outside emergency departments — are increasingly important but lack a sustainable funding model and clear statewide operating rules.

Shaira also listed programmatic gaps: a shortage of youth respite services that can avert out-of-county residential placements; insufficient Spanish-speaking and bicultural providers (Shaira said roughly 4,000 county residents speak Spanish); and limited primary-care clinicians trained to work with people who have severe and persistent mental illness.

Council members asked clarifying questions about whether the local plan describes hypothetical uses for any leftover funds (Shaira clarified the plan prioritizes gaps in order if additional funds become available, but said the CFAA funds are not sufficient to meet the needs). Members requested that Shaira share the concise pages summarizing priorities; Shaira agreed to circulate two pages now and the full document after state submission.

Lisa told the council she had presented the group's recommendation to appoint Nicholas Bowling to the membership; the appointment will go to a formal vote at the next county commissioner meeting and, if approved there, Bowling would join the council in January.