Lane County commissioners on Jan. 6 approved an 18‑month County Financial Assistance Agreement (CFAA) with the Oregon Health Authority that staff and county counsel characterized as an interim but significantly improved contract for funding and managing behavioral health services.

Health & Human Services Director Eve Gray and county counsel staff summarized a year of stalled negotiations, a statewide county coalition engagement and intervention by the governor’s office that led to progress on key sticking points. Staff described four principal concessions in the current agreement: (1) a carve‑out and acknowledgment about ongoing federal litigation so counties are not treated as parties to that litigation or automatically required to assume litigation‑driven obligations; (2) a service‑prioritization definition aligned with statutory scheme and local plans, with the budget and local plan considered in priority decisions; (3) a revised definition of "substantial compliance" that adds a reasonableness standard and preserves counties’ ability to challenge unilateral determinations by OHA; and (4) a joint, negotiated approach for local plan revisions so counties are not forced to implement immediate changes absent agreement.

Presenters said the agreement will fund services for forensic populations (aid & assist, PSRB) and other behavioral health safety‑net services, while clarifying that the funding is intended only for services enumerated in the agreement and not to require counties to build residential infrastructure on short notice. County counsel emphasized that the 18‑month term allows further negotiation and operationalization.

Commissioners praised staff leadership — singling out county counsel and HHS staff — for statewide coordination that helped break the impasse and urged careful implementation. Commissioner Trigger moved to approve order 26‑01‑06‑17 to adopt the CFAA; Commissioner Farr seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 5–0.