OHA, ODVA Partner on Behavioral Health

A study and community forums help shape the future of veteran behavioral health resources

The Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs wrapped up a statewide tour in October aimed at soliciting input from communities across Oregon regarding veterans behavioral health needs and services.

The Oregon Legislature invested $3.1 million over two biennia toward veterans behavioral health. OHA and ODVA dedicated a portion of the funding to commission a needs assessment study to identify challenges and opportunities for reforms. The resulting study, written by Portland-based consulting firm Rede Group is available on the OHA website.

ODVA and OHA partnered to conduct community forums in 17 locations across the state including highly rural areas where access to behavioral health care is limited.

“Unfortunately, the recent report confirms what many who serve veterans and those in the field of behavioral health already knew: too many Oregon veterans are not getting the services and care they need and deserve. The state is committed to reversing this trend. To truly make a difference, we will need the involvement of informed, active community-level partners and stakeholders throughout the state,” said ODVA director Kelly Fitzpatrick.

Too many Oregon veterans are not getting the services and care they need and deserve.

The report, Oregon Veterans’ Behavioral Health Services Improvement Study, describes the availability of behavioral health services for Oregon veterans and provides findings regarding barriers veterans face in accessing behavioral health services.

The recommendations include proposed steps to strengthen services and outreach for veterans, including:

• Reducing stigma about behavioral health issues to help more veterans feel comfortable seeking care.

• Strengthen suicide prevention programs.

• Improve care coordination for veterans and tailor services to better address the experiences those who have served in the military have faced.

• Expand the number of peer specialists who have their own first-hand knowledge of veterans issues and can provide effective support.

• Recruit more treatment providers to serve veterans.

The community engagement tour, which began in August in Bend and ended mid October in Medford, fulfills the Rede Group’s first recommendation in the report: Provide communities a forum for local-level problem solving. At the local meetings, OHA and ODVA sought feedback from local veterans, service providers and policymakers on the Rede Group’s 16 total recommendations.

Input from these sessions will be used to develop OHA’s five-year strategic plan to better meet the behavioral health needs of Oregon veterans, in close collaboration with ODVA and the federal VA. The strategic plan is expected to be published in early 2020.