Lane County staff, clients urge board to keep representative payee program in house

Anya Kopsheva and Shelby Schofield, employees of Lane County Behavioral Health, told the Board of Commissioners on April 28 that the county’s representative payee program should remain an in‑house service rather than be outsourced.

"I'm asking you to protect and preserve this program as an in house service," said Anya Kopsheva, describing the program as a "direct responsive, life‑stabilizing support" that can issue checks and handle cash quickly for clients who otherwise would remain unhoused. She said alternative local options are "extremely limited or nonexistent."

Shelby Schofield, a mental health associate who also works in the representative payee program, said the service prevents eviction, financial exploitation and medication nonadherence for people with severe mental illness. "Closing or outsourcing this program without a fully developed and equivalent alternative will create real harm," Schofield said, urging the board to review any proposed closure at the board level before taking financial action.

Both speakers framed the program as more than fund management: they said its hands‑on, relationship‑based approach and coordination with case managers and clinicians enable urgent interventions, such as securing temporary housing minutes before a shelter closes.

Board members did not take immediate action during the meeting; the public comment was entered into the record for the board to consider alongside staff recommendations. The speakers requested that the board weigh responsiveness, accountability and the scarcity of alternative providers when deciding whether to pursue an external contracting model.

The county did not announce any vote or formal directive on the program during this session.