Representative Salinas, SAMHSA Deputy Highlight the Importance of Behavioral Health Care in Oregon’s Sixth District
Salem, OR – On Monday, April 1, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) hosted Mr. Tom Coderre, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and the first person in recovery to have led the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), during his visit to Oregon’s Sixth District. Rep. Salinas and Mr. Coderre toured two behavioral health centers in McMinnville, followed by roundtable discussions with community members and local stakeholders.
“I was honored to host Principal Deputy Coderre in Oregon to highlight our shared mission to improve access to behavioral health services,” said Rep. Salinas. “Community health centers like the ones we visited in McMinnville are on the frontlines of the mental health and addiction crisis. We must provide them with more resources and support from our federal government if we hope to make progress. I am energized by the discussions we had, and I look forward to the partnership with SAMHSA, local leaders, and members of the community to ensure more Americans can get the care and treatment they deserve.”
“SAMHSA is dedicated to providing resources that allow communities across the country to address the mental health and substance use needs of their residents. We know that community-based services, like the ones we have seen today, lead to positive outcomes,” said Mr. Coderre. “Our grant funding supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to tackle the country’s mental health crisis and beat the overdose epidemic by expanding equitable access to behavioral health services.”
Rep. Salinas and Mr. Coderre first toured the Yamhill County Adult Behavioral Health Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). CCBHCs are transforming community-based behavioral health care by setting high-quality standards and ensuring every patient receives coordinated and comprehensive care. CCBHCs provide crisis services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They serve anyone who requests care for a mental health or substance use disorder, regardless of ability to pay.
Following their tour of the CCBHC and a roundtable discussion with community members and stakeholders, Rep. Salinas and Mr. Coderre traveled to McMinnville High School where they visited the local School-Based Health Center (SBHC) and participated in another roundtable. SBHCs are located onor near school grounds to support the health and well-being of young people. Similar to CCBHCs, these centers are staffed by licensed professionals and offer physical, behavioral and preventive health services regardless of ability to pay.
There are currently 12 CCBHCs and 87 SBHCs in Oregon alone, many of them serving rural areas.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that people who receive care at CCBHCs had:
- 74% reduction in hospitalization
- 68% reduction in visits to the emergency room
- 33% decrease in homelessness
During the 2021-2022 school year, the Oregon Health Authority also found that:
- 90,065 school-aged children visited an SBHC
- 45% of school-aged clients identified as persons of color
- 41% of school-aged clients visited an SBHC for behavioral health reasons
Rep. Salinas has fought to secure more funding for these and other similar health centers. In December 2023, Rep. Salinas and members of the Oregon congressional delegation called for more fundingfor federally qualified health center look-alikes, which also provide crucial health care in their communities without regard to insurance status.Rep. Salinas is also a cosponsor of critical legislation that would bolster mental health funding in schools, including the Mental Health Services for Students Act and the Student Support Act.
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