Behavioral Health

Image

SHUTTERSTOCK

State’s rules on residential treatment facilities raise county, provider concerns

The rules are aimed at getting criminal defendants into residential treatment centers, but counties and providers say they go too far, and overstep their authority to create a safe environment for patients

Jul 9
Premium

Image

SHUTTERSTOCK

OHSU’s Hillsboro Medical Center to shutter inpatient psychiatric unit for elderly people

The decision to close the 21-bed Hillsboro geriatric psychiatric unit will shutter a large portion of the state's overall treatment capacity for a very vulnerable population, advocates say. Hospital management cites staffing challenges and declining usage for the move.

Jul 9
Premium

Image

SHUTTERSTOCK

Oregon civil commitment reforms key to fixing system, advocates say

Lawmakers on Wednesday heard from mental health advocates who say Oregonians’ mental health needs won’t be met until a law allowing involuntary treatment is put to work.

Jun 18
Premium

Image

Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon, on Nov. 21, 2023. | JAKE THOMAS/THE LUND REPORT

Sean Murphy picked for top job at Oregon State Hospital

Murphy, a top Washington state behavioral health official, has agreed to take over as superintendent of the state psychiatric institution, ending a period of more than two years in which the hospital lacked a permanent leader

Jun 17
Premium

Image

MOHAMED HASSAN/PIXABAY

Oregon’s new civil commitment law is slow to spark change

A law intended to make it easier to get help for people in need is not having the expected effects, and Oregon lawmakers want to know why

Jun 16
Premium

Image

Oregon State Hospital close to meeting terms in civil rights case

Now that a federal judge has placed restrictions on who the hospital can admit and how long they stay, the psychiatric institution is expected to finally satisfy a long-standing court order to keep criminal defendants from languishing in jails.

Jun 11
Premium

Image

Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon, on Nov. 21, 2023. | JAKE THOMAS/THE LUND REPORT

Judge’s curb on admissions should reduce state hospital contempt fines

Mentally ill defendants charged with lower-level crimes won’t be admitted to the state psychiatric institution anymore under a new federal ruling intended to reduce civil rights violations

Jun 2
Premium

Image

Shutterstock

Drug deaths dropped 40% in two years, new report shows

The decline in overdoses mirrors a similar trend nationwide, but fatalities are still much higher than they were in the 2000s, with people often taking both fentanyl and methamphetamine

May 14
Premium

Image

Oregon State Hospital in Salem. | BEN BOTKIN/THE LUND REPORT

Psychiatrist Amit Bhavan named to oversee medical care at Oregon State Hospital

The state psychiatric institution continues to grapple with leadership questions in its top positions, including repeated failures to hire a permanent superintendent

Apr 6
Premium