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Outback Strong wins $1.7 million BHRN award; county warned state Aid and Assist funding is inadequate
Summary
Behavioral health director Heidi Martinez told the Board that Outback Strong received a $1.7 million Behavioral Health Resource Network grant over four years and that limited Aid and Assist housing funds and local capacity risk noncompliance and client need; commissioners discussed using the OHA IGA amendment to cover housing-related needs.
Heidi Martinez, director for behavioral health services, told the Lake County Board of Commissioners on April 8 that Outback Strong had been awarded a $1,700,000 Behavioral Health Resource Network (BHRN) grant for a four-year period to support transitional and supportive housing, supportive employment coaching, and remodeling of county-owned facilities to expand services.
Martinez explained a proposed Fifth Amendment to the Oregon Health Authority intergovernmental agreement (Agreement #PO-44300-00026014) would make Aid and Assist funds available for housing-related needs for individuals in crisis; she said there were no Aid and Assist clients at the time of the work session but noted the county could see such cases in the future. Martinez asked the Board to accept the amendment as a way to secure resources for potential housing needs.
Commissioner James Williams criticized the state allotment, saying that in a state prioritizing housing, "allotting Lake County only $700.00 for Aid and Assist was waste of everyone's time." Community Corrections Director Jake Greer and Martinez said local funds intended for housing homeless offenders were spent in the first quarter of the biennium; Greer said this contributed to county-level strain when group placements were unavailable.
Martinez also said Outback Strong billed about $85,000 in its first week on the new billing system and warned that the Oregon Health Authority expects Outback Strong to have capacity to add 125 clients in 2026; failure to expand services could put the provider out of compliance and reduce capitation funding through Greater Oregon Behavioral Health (GOBHI).
The Board discussed using state and grant funds for housing supports and directed staff to consider acceptance of the OHA amendment during Regular Session. No final vote on the amendment is recorded in the work session minutes.
Why it matters: The BHRN award and OHA amendment affect the county’s ability to expand behavioral-health services and housing supports for people with serious mental-health or criminal-justice involvement. Funding shortfalls and capacity constraints could affect compliance and care availability.
Next steps: The Board expected to take action on the IGA amendment and related funding in Regular Session.
